RZA Confirms Ol’ Dirty Bastard Biopic is in The Makings

Coming to a theater near you.

Staten Island’s supergroup, Wu-Tang Clan, reached peak popularity in the ‘90s due to their innovative musical offerings, predicated on the grimy and raw RZA-architected production and the host of characters who deepened their artistic command. From Method Man to the GZA, these disparate yet complementary rappers layered each track in such a unique manner. However, one of the group’s core members–and perhaps most eccentric–seems to leap to the forefront when recalling these distinct personalities: Ol’ Dirty Bastard.

The man who directly influenced artists like Danny Brown, Ol’ Dirty leveraged his odd style for cementation in hip-hop lore. The voice behind “Shimmy Shimmy Ya”, ODB lived outside of the lines, never conforming to industry standards or wishes; his artistic beauty subsisted in his quirks and unconventionality. And while his musical stature is well-regarded, the details of his personal life aren’t as well documented, leaving a void in his biography. Now, it looks like that is all about to change, as RZA has received the green light from Sony’s Colombia Pictures to create a biopic in ODB’s honor.

While the go-ahead has been granted, integral details are still to be finalized, leaving a looming question mark over the film’s release date. A director is still to be selected, but RZA will be handling the production load, which is comforting given his film-making history–like The Man With The Iron Fists–and close relationship with Ol’ Dirty; the two were cousins.

Stay tuned for further updates regarding this film’s status.