Young Dirty Bastard is driving around Atlanta, relishing in a rare day off from the Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber tour. The 27-date trek—billed as Wu-Tang Clan’s last run—had taken him to Denver just days earlier for a Fourth of July show with all surviving members of the celebrated hip-hop collective. Moments after he arrived at the venue, he was maneuvering around backstage, appearing somewhat frazzled yet ready to step back into the shoes of his late father, Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
Now 36, Young Dirty Bastard (real name Barsun Jones) is only one year older than his father was when he died of an accidental drug overdose in 2004. He’s been filling in for Ol’ Dirty Bastard since he was 18 years old, an enormous task for a teenager when considering the pedigree of the Wu-Tang Clan.
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But anyone who has witnessed Young Dirty Bastard in action can attest to his professionalism onstage, innate rhyming skills, and effortless charisma. Coupled with his “Brooklyn Zoo steez” braids, he’s a spitting image of his father in both appearance and personality. He admits, however, he was apprehensive the first time was thrown into the lion’s den.
“It was definitely intimidating,” he says of taking the ODB reins. “When I first started, I obviously didn’t know all of my father’s music. You could be the son of whoever, but if you ain’t listening to the music every day, practicing it and rehearsing it then it don’t matter.
“It’s not all about how talented you are—it’s about you really taking the time to memorize things and build more skill. It’s like a child trying to play piano. They gotta remember the keys!”
Young Dirty Bastard is tasked with delivering some of Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s most recognized solo singles, including “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” “Brooklyn Zoo,” and “Got Your Money.” Over time, performing them has become second nature—but not without his father’s help.
“I used to just run out there you know and perform ‘Shimmy Shimmy Ya’ and I didn’t really know what I was doing,” he admits. “I would just go crazy. I would let my spirit take over and it had nothing to do with control. Something else took control like the Tesla cars and of course it was my pops.”
Eventually, Young Dirty Bastard was able to ditch the training wheels and pedal all by himself.
“Definitely for the beginning of it, he was taking control because he didn’t want me to mess everything up,” he says. “But then years later, we started to merge. I learned how to control it. Now I know how to drive too, baby!”
YDB was just 16 when he lost his father. Making it more intense was the manner in which Ol’ Dirty Bastard died. Diagnosed with schizophrenia around 2003, ODB appeared to be self-medicating.
On November 13, 2004, two days before his 36th birthday, ODB was at RZA’s recording studio in New York City, where he complained of chest pains. Seconds later he collapsed and was pronounced dead at the scene. His autopsy report concluded he had succumbed to a lethal mixture of cocaine and the prescription opioid tramadol. Of course, nobody was prepared to lose him at such a young age, but it taught YDB a valuable lesson: “Be real careful.”
“He was very paranoid,” he explains. “Doing drugs makes you paranoid. I automatically got that now. When he left, now I’m paranoid. I don’t know why, but I’m the most paranoid person in the family, and I don’t even smoke marijuana.
“But my father’s death taught me that paranoia could be a superpower. It can protect you. That’s an animalistic behavior thing. That’s something you need in the environment to survive.”
Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s death left his son with a complicated legacy to uphold. Still, he keeps teaching YDB from beyond the grave, though self-doubt does seep in sometimes.
“He taught me so many things without being here,” he says. “It’s like, ‘Humble yourself because you are with legends.’ He kind of left the WrestleMania ring to me with these giant idols, these nine iconic brothers Wu-Tang and I’m just there. I don’t know, I’m trying to fill my role, do my part. But it’s not easy because they know what they’re doing. They’re masters at their craft, and I’m just watching and learning, and he kind of just left me in that spot.”
But each night, with Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s image emblazoned on the screen behind him, Young Dirty Bastard taps into something otherworldly and is able to capture his father’s essence while simultaneously maintaining his individuality. Soon, Wu-Tang fans will have the chance to discover more about who Young Dirty Bastard is. With his role in the group coming to a ceremonious close as the final tour ends he has plans to further his reach.
“The craziest part about all of this is that the Wu-Tang Final Chamber tour was kind of like a launch of my career,” he says. “It’s like, now there’s nothing else to do, so they’re like, ‘What are you gonna do now, young man?’ Go shoot for the stars. Go get another job.’ They’re not saying, ‘You’re out,’ but I gotta just figure everything out in a different way and do what I do best.”
That includes releasing his first solo album, although there’s a sense he’ll have the support of some of his Wu-Tang brethren.
“I got some people that are joining to help me narrate this project,” he says. “I got over a thousand songs. I was always waiting for the right opportunity. I don’t want to put out material at the wrong time without no big PR stunt team behind me or a big machine pushing me, because I got Wu-Tang, I gotta be on that level. Everything gotta be seen. So I’ve always been patient. When a fellow wants a statue built, it might take a little longer.”
Then there’s dancing—yes, dancing. Young Dirty Bastard wants to “take that to the next level,” he says.
“I think there’s gonna be more of what Michael Jackson and Prince was doing,” he continues. “When I’m rapping on the stage with the iconic Wu-Tang brothers, I gotta be a rapper. But I got another side to me. You see the energy, but I got a whole other side to me. I can go James Brown real quick.”
For now, Young Dirty Bastard is embracing his new beginning and whatever that’s going to look like. He recently partnered with video game giant SEGA on its Shinobi: Art of Vengeance merch line. Limited edition Shinobi apparel will drop at Hot Topic in August, which will serve as the introduction to YDB’s clothing brand, Dirty Magic. It will coincide with the release of his upcoming Shinobi-inspired single, “The Path Just Begun.”
“That partnership with SEGA is major,” he says. “It’s one of the biggest operators in the game right there.”
It’s a dream a long time in the making. He can trace his love of video games back to childhood.
“The last memory I have is when my Dad and I took a picture when he was locked up,” he recalls. “That was probably one of the last pictures we took together. When he was locked up, I asked my mom to ask him for an Xbox when it first came out. My mom said, ‘Don’t get it for him because it costs too much.’ My dad was like, ‘Get it.’”
Beyond video games, YDB is also exploring his interest in film. Much like RZA, who’s starred in films like Nobody and American Gangster as well as directed, produced, and scored several movies, he’s always been captivated by the silver screen.
“We got movie scripts that I’m writing,” he reveals. “I guess the main goal is to follow the breadcrumbs of my cousin RZA. The truth is my father loved movies. He had all the VCR movies—some of them were bootleg—but we watched some of them back then. And it was just a lifestyle. So watching movies, the whole family, that’s just what we did. And that’s why we became directors and filmmakers later on in life.”
Ol’ Dirty Bastard will never get the chance to grow into old age, but his son is determined to keep his spirit alive—and that could include a collaborative album.
“If I could, I’d probably make an album with my father,” he says. “I found his rap notebook. He said, ‘Don’t rap, it’s not for you.’ But I went and rapped and toured with Wu-Tang. If he could see it now, it’d be beautiful, but I could definitely make an album with him. That’d be dope. And I think with artificial intelligence, I think it’s possible.”
The Final Chamber tour went out with a bang on July 18 in Philadelphia, with Lauryn Hill, LL COOL J, and Freeway showing up to bid adieu. The closing night was another powerful reminder for YDB that “when you get time with your family, you gotta really cherish those moments because it might really be the last tour.”
There’s one question Young Dirty Bastard couldn’t answer though—and understandably so. When asked who is most like a father figure to him out of the entire Wu-Tang Clan—Method Man, RZA, GZA, Ghostface Killah, U-God, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, or Cappadonna—he stuttered.
“Oh…there’s going to be a lot of brothers be like, ‘Yo, hold on,’” he says with a laugh. “Shit. But everybody on the team definitely always lift me up when I’m down. Spiritually, mentally—we always pay homage to each other.”
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