The life of Wu-Tang Clan founding member Ol’ Dirty Bastard will be commemorated in an all-new A&E Network documentary. Biography: Ol’ Dirty Bastard marks the first documentary to be approved by the late Grammy-nominated rapper’s estate. The Pulse Films, Four Screens and Ol’ Dirty Bastard Estate production is co-directed by Emmy and Peabody Award winner Sam Pollard and his son Jason Pollard. It is set to premiere next year.
Biography: Ol’ Dirty Bastard holds exclusive rights to never-before-seen personal archival footage filmed by Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s wife, Icelene Jones. The Brooklyn-native rapper, né Russell Jones, died of a drug-induced heart attack in 2004. He was 35. Explore Ol’ Dirty Bastard Wu-Tang Clan See latest videos, charts and news
“I am thrilled to tell the full story of my husband,” Icelene said in a statement. “With this documentary, the world will learn about the son, husband, father and artist. I’m proud of the team that we built, including Pulse, my production partners Nicole Beckett and Messiah Jacobs at Four Screens, and our directing team, the Pollards.”
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The two-hour documentary features commentary from Jones’ family and friends as it unveils the full scope of his life beyond music. It also takes a deep dive into his upbringing and its effects on his adulthood.
Biography: Ol’ Dirty Bastard highlights much of ODB’s success, from his time in the iconic Wu-Tang Clan (with fellow members RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God and Masta Killa) starting with their debut studio album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993. The group earned their first and only Grammy nomination in ’97, and ODB scored two Grammy nods for his solo work as well.
Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive vice president and head of programming at A&E, said in a statement, “A&E continues to be an industry leader in definitive documentary storytelling. Biography: Ol’ Dirty Bastard will present viewers with the untold story of the man and musician who made an immense cultural impact across just a few short years.”
Sam Bridger, executive producer for Pulse Films, said in a statement, “At Pulse Films, we are passionate about making music documentaries that tell intimate and unique stories about the world’s most iconic artists. ODB completely redefined what it meant to be an MC. [He was] a genius who lived and breathed his art. We are thrilled to have Sam and Jason Pollard on board, who are the perfect filmmakers to tell this amazing story for the first time. There will never be anyone quite like ODB and we are so grateful to his family and friends for inviting us into his world.”