Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s ‘Mixtape’ re-introduction

With two classic solo albums and his contributions to all things Wu-Tang, Ol' Dirty Bastard a.k.a. Dirt McGirt established himself as one of the most original and outrageous voices in Hip-Hop history. With his well documented lifestyle on the wrong side of the law and order but an irrepressible personality, he became one of the best known characters in the country and a folk hero of many a ‘hood.

He first took the music world by storm in 1993 as a member of the nine man Hip-Hop powerhouse Wu-Tang Clan, peppering their debut release 'Enter the the Wu-Tang 36 Chambers' with a demented delivery and diabolical sense of humour. His total disregard for convention won him loyal fans the world over. He later pursued a successful solo career, dropping two solo albums 'The Return to the 36 Chambers' and 'N***a Please', spawning such hits as 'Shimmy Shimmy Ya', 'Brooklyn Zoo' and 'Got Your Money'. He continued to grace various Wu-Tang projects, even from behind bars.

His mischievous antics extended past the studio, and spilled out onto his everyday life. His frequent run-ins with the law and his struggle with drugs, made him a permanent fixture on primetime news, as did the time he rescued a young child from a car accident. After a 2 year prison bid for drug possession, he was immediately signed to Roc-A-Fella Records and was slated to drop a new album within the next few months.

Unfortunately, his wild lifestyle caught up with him, when he OD’d on 13 November last year. Russell Jones [as he was born] was on the way of completing two albums and this is a reminder/re-introduction to the man before the proper disc for Jay-Z’s label. This Mixtape collection offers a final glimpse into Dirty's mind and features 15 new tracks.

‘Osirius’ is produced by DJ Premier, The Heatmakers, Dame Grease, Chops and K-Def, to provide an uneven affair, with some bitty tracks and dubious out-takes but there are few gems. ‘Pop Shots’ and ‘Dirty Dirty’ are excellent pair of opening songs, ‘Dirty Run’ easily equals anything he did for/with WTC and ‘F**k All’ - that about sums up his life philosophy. The disc comes with 3 bonus remixes of ‘Move Back’, ‘Fire’ and ‘Pop Shots’.

Although mainly aimed at his [and Wu-Tang’s] fans, it is a fair re-intro but nought much else.

7/10