Raekwon Tributes Ol’ Dirty Bastard On 20th Anniversary Of His Death

Posted on by EDITORIAL FEATURES

Raekwon and Ol’ Dirty Bastard are two of the most beloved and iconic members of the Wu-Tang Clan. Both rappers dropped classic debuts in 1995. Despite their singular styles, managed to cross over and collab with other legendary artists. Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s tragic death in 2004 rocked Wu-Tang Clan to its core, and Raekwon took to Instagram on November 13 to pay his respects to the “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” rapper.

Raekwon posted a singular photo of Ol’ Dirty Bastard performing next to a lengthy message. “Miss you beloved,” he wrote. “Today marks 20 years you been gone and it’s not a day that goes by we don’t miss feeling your presence in the world.” Raekwon, who appeared on Ol’ Dirty’s classic 1995 song “Raw Hide,” also announced plans to tribute the rapper in Newark, New York. “At my grand opening in Newark’s very own @hashstoria location,” Rae explained. “We will be doing a tribute to your legacy by playing ya music throughout the day.” The Chef concluded his statement by noting how important Ol’ Dirty Bastard was to the success of Wu-Tang overall.

“Thank you for believing in us and putting ya mighty crew on the map,” Raekwon wrote. “You will always remain general in my eyes. love you.” This is not the first time that the Chef has tipped his cap to Ol’ Dirty in the two decades since his death. The rapper’s classic 2009 sequel Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. 2 had a standout cut named after Ol’ Dirty: “Ason Jones.” “The first dude to say, ‘Yo, keep it real,'” Rae rapped on the song. “Yeah, the lover, the father, the hustler, the rap professor. Now, he with Allah, that’s a blessing.” A sample of O.D.B. talking is included at the end of the song.

Raekwon also came together with the rest of Wu-Tang to tribute Ol’ Dirty Bastard in 2005. O.D.B.’s old recordings were repurposed for the posthumous album A Son Unique. Rae was among the artists who appeared on the tracklist. He appeared on the posse cut “Intoxicated” and the single “I Go Through Life” alongside the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan. Raekwon is currently working on his eighth studio album.