Wu-Tang Clan Recall Performing For Ol’ Dirty Bastard In Rikers Island

Wu-Tang Clan is currently on a promotional run for their new docu-series,Of Mics & Men which debuted its first part last Friday. The crew’s touched down at MSNBC, Desus & Mero, and more as they promote the Showtime documentary as well as the 25th anniversary of their debut album. In a recent interview with The Face, Wu-Tang Clan responded to a few myths pertaining to the crew including the story about ODB breaking out of jail to perform with the crew.

Evan Agostini/Getty Images

RZA and Cappadonna recounted the time they performed at Rikers Island for Ol Dirty Bastard when he was locked up for the first time before speaking on the myth of Ol Dirty breaking out of jail to perform.

“We did a show in Rikers Island for Ol’ Dirty,” Cappadonna said.

“We all went to the jail, and performed for Dirty in the jail,” RZA added before Cap remembered drinking 40 oz. in prison. “We had 40oz, Dirty’s eating mad burgers in there too, fuck all that vegetarian shit,” RZA added. “The inmates was in the yard with us. They wasn’t locked up, they was standing right there!” Cap continued.

RZA and Cappadonna then went into detail about the story about ODB breaking out of jail to perform. Technically, he didn’t break out of prison, as RZA recalled. It was a halfway house, but the Wu-Tang Clan members did confirm that he did break out to perform with them.

“But as far as ODB breaking out of jail [to play a show] – in America, they’ve got jails where like, you’re in jail but they want to put you in for like evaluation, or a drug evaluation. But you can’t leave there. You’re locked up there, but it ain’t like there’s bars. You can sneak out of there,” RZA said. “But Dirty did it… He showed up to a Wu-Tang show in disguise… He was disguised. He was like ‘yo, I got to go’ and I was like ‘one more song!’”

“What happened was after the show, he went to Philly. Because a lot of his Brooklyn Zu crew dudes was in Philadelphia. At a McDonalds, he signed an autograph for some lady cops. And everyone was like ‘yo that’s Ol’ Dirty Bastard, he’s a fugitive’. You know what I mean? Then he’s back up in the box and shit. Lady cops call for backup,” RZA said. “They didn’t set him up, it was just like ‘we got him, he’s right here!’”