Barsun Unique Jones[a] (born April 9, 1989), better known by his stage names Boy Jones[2][3] and Young Dirty Bastard (often abbreviated YDB), is an American rapper. He is the son of Ol' Dirty Bastard.
Young Dirty Bastard | |
|---|---|
.png) Young Dirty Bastard in 2019 | |
| Born | Barsun Unique Jones April 9, 1989 |
| Children | 6 |
| Father | Ol' Dirty Bastard |
| Website | youngdirtybastard |
Early life
editBarsun Unique Jones[4] was born on April 9, 1989, to Russell Tyrone Jones (better known as Ol' Dirty Bastard) and Icelene Jones,[5] making him a cousin of rappers RZA and GZA.[6] He is the eldest of his father's 13 children.[b][4]
Young Dirty Bastard grew up in Brooklyn. He was often suspended from grade school. He grew up in a violent neighbourhood; armed family members serving as security were a constant presence in his life and his father was shot at twice during his (Young Dirty Bastard's) childhood.[5] Despite his father's fame, his family struggled to bring in money when he (Ol' Dirty Bastard) was incarcerated.[8]
His father accompanied him to a show at the Apollo Theater when he was nine, inspiring him to become a rapper. Soon after that, he compiled a notebook filled with "hundreds" of rhymes, and began recording rap music on a computer. His father advised him to choose another career path. Disregarding his father's advice,[3] Young Dirty Bastard began rapping in earnest in his mid-teens, around the time his father died of an accidental drug overdose.[5] During the funeral, he took the stage and declared that "[my father, Ol' Dirty Bastard] ain't going nowhere... He lives through me."[9] Subsequently, his mother took the family out of New York City to Norcross, Georgia, hoping to improve Young Dirty Bastard's school grades,[3] and to escape relatives who wanted Ol' Dirty Bastard's royalties.[5] Afterward, he dropped out of school to focus on making music.[3] RZA began mentoring him and took him on tour, familiarizing him with the other members of the Wu-Tang Clan.[9] He took the place of his late father.[10]
Career
editMusic
editAt the 2013 Rock the Bells festival, he performed alongside a hologram of his late father,[11][12] for which he had provided the physical model[3] and the voice.[6][12]
In October 2018, he performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! along with the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan.[13]
In April 2019, Young Dirty Bastard performed "Triumph" with the surviving members of the Wu-Tang Clan on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[14] In November of that year, he formed the musical group 2nd Generation Wu with rappers iNTeLL, PXWER, and Sun God, who are all sons of members of the Wu-Tang Clan. They released their debut single that month.[15][16] In October 2019, his manager claimed that he had "about ten" albums completed.[17]
Other ventures
editIn 2019, Young Dirty Bastard made his reality television debut on the show Growing Up Hip Hop: New York.[18] He also tried out for the role of Ol' Dirty Bastard,[19] his father, in Wu-Tang: An American Saga, but the role ultimately went to T.J. Atoms.[20] RZA stated that he decided not to cast him because his acting skills were inadequate, conceding that he bears a strong visual resemblance to his father.[19]
As of 2014, Young Dirty Bastard was planning to create a black hockey team.[21]
Musical style
edit
When performing with the Wu-Tang Clan, he fills the role of his father.[4] According to Creative Loafing, Young Dirty Bastard has a similar "guttural drawl".[3] Speaking on his own style, Young Dirty Bastard claimed that his father's soul "jumped" into him when he died, resulting in him being able to imitate his father well.[22] He cites religious leader Elijah Muhammad, civil rights activist Malcolm X,[4] Eminem, 50 Cent,[5] and the Wu-Tang Clan[23] as influences. In particular, he describes RZA as his mentor.[4][5][3]
Personal life
editIn 2014, Young Dirty Bastard revealed that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He stated that he would not seek any professional medical treatment, as he distrusted doctors.[24] In 2019, he further elaborated that he had survived cancer "a few times" and had a heart attack at some point.[17] He has also voiced support for the conspiracy theory that AIDS was artificially created.[24]
He does not smoke or drink,[6][25] which he attributes to his father's early death and his mother's disapproval.[5] He describes himself as vegetarian, but eats chicken.[26] He is a follower of the Nation of Islam.[4]
As of 2019, Young Dirty Bastard has six children,[5] and lives in Stone Mountain, Georgia as of 2014.[3]
Young Dirty Bastard's cousins and fellow rap artists Odion and David Turner were murdered in 2021 in Portland, Oregon.[27]
Discography
editMixtapes
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ Kaloi, Stephanie (2023-12-18). "Ol' Dirty Bastard Remembered in Comic 'ODB: Oddities, Discord, & B-Sides — Lyrical Ruckus in the City'". TheWrap. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ Tardio, Andres (2013-05-17). "Ol' Dirty Bastard's Widow Issues Cease & Desist Order Against Rock The Bells". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Radford, Chad (2014-01-02). "20 People to Watch - Boy Jones aka Young Dirty Bastard: The rapper". Creative Loafing. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ a b c d e f Ju, Shirley (2020-11-13). "Ol' Dirty Bastard's Son, Young Dirty Bastard, Remembers Father's Legacy on Anniversary of Wu-Tang Founder's Death". Variety. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Eustice, Kyle (2019-11-13). "Interview: YDB Pinpoints Biggest Misconception About His Father Ol' Dirty Bastard". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ a b c Trykowski, Tyler (2013-09-11). "Meet Young Dirty Bastard, Son of Ol' Dirty Bastard". Vice. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ Lowe, Jaime (2013-11-13). "7 Ways to Remember Ol' Dirty Bastard". Vulture. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Kiana (2019-09-06). "Kids of Hip-Hop Legends". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
- ^ a b Mansell, Henry (2014-10-23). "Young Dirty Bastard Discusses Ol' Dirty Bastard's Death". HipHopDX.
- ^ Zaragoza, Alex; Zaharia, Oana Maria (2019-05-14). "Filmul care spune în sfârșit adevărata poveste a trupei Wu-Tang Clan". Vice (in Romanian). Retrieved 2024-03-16.
- ^ Muhammad, Latifah (2013-09-09). "Rock The Bells 2013: Ol' Dirty Bastard's Hologram Performs with Son On Day 2". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
- ^ a b Kennedy, Gerrick D. (2013-09-07). "Rock the Bells 2013: Eazy-E, ODB brought back to life by their kids". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (2018-10-20). "Watch Wu-Tang Clan Unite for '36 Chambers' Tracks on 'Kimmel'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
- ^ Lamarre, Carl (2019-04-25). "Wu-Tang Clan Performs 'Triumph' With Young Dirty Bastard on 'Fallon': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
- ^ Threadcraft, Torry (2019-11-14). "Wu-Tang is for the Children: the Sons of Method Man, Ghostface Killah, ODB & U-God Form Their Own Group - Okayplayer". Okayplayer. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
- ^ Victoria, Priola (2019-11-11). "Meet '2nd Generation Wu,' the children of Wu-Tang Clan who formed a music group". silive.com. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
- ^ a b c Robertson, Darryl (2019-12-20). "There Is A Father To Young Dirty Bastard's Style". VIBE.com. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ Marie, Erika (2019-08-29). "Ol' Dirty Bastard's Son Young Dirty Bastard Is The Spitting Image Of His Father". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
- ^ a b Mahadevan, Tara. "RZA Explains Why Ol' Dirty Bastard's Son Doesn't Play His Father in 'Wu-Tang: An American Saga'". Complex. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
- ^ Marie, Erika (2019-12-18). "Young Dirty Bastard Calls Dad ODB A "Genius," Criticizes Wu-Tang Show Casting". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
- ^ Tindal, K. B. (2014-10-07). "HHV Exclusive: Young Dirty Bastard talks new book, "Reuniters," first black hockey team, and more". Hip Hop Vibe. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
- ^ Hunte, Justin (2013-10-18). "YDB Says Ol' Dirty Bastard's Spirit Jumped Into Him When He Passed". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ Young Dirty Bastard Talks ODB Visual At Rock The Bells, Being A Part Of The Wu-Tang Family, And More (Video). The Source. 2013-08-31. Event occurs at 0:38.
- ^ a b "ODB's Eldest Son, Boy Jones: I Have Cancer". BET. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ Mullings, Morgan (2019-09-27). "Children of Rap: Ol' Dirty Bastard's Kids Remember MC as an 'Awesome Father'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Trent (2014-10-24). "Old Dirty Bastard's Son Young Dirty Bastard Reveals He Has Cancer". The Boombox. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ Ostapiuk, Joseph (2021-08-12). "Two Wu-Tang Clan affiliates, cousins of Ol' Dirty Bastard, fatally shot in Portland". silive.com. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
- ^ Meara, Paul (2015-05-25). "Mixtape Release Dates: Sy Ari Da Kid & TEAUXNY, Young Scooter, Young Dirty Bastard, Chris Travis". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2024-03-15.