New York is the mecca of hip-hop. What better way to honor its legends than to rename some of its many streets after iconic rappers? In Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, Putnam Avenue is officially going to be known as ODB Jones Way in honor of wily Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
In mid-July 2026, family and fans gathered together on the street as family pulled a string to reveal the great surprise. Then, the crowd cheered on as they were handed copies of the street marker while “Brooklyn Zoo” played.
In a video posted on TikTok, ODB’s oldest brother Ramsey Jones expressed immense joy over the occasion. The fact that it was put on the same block as a mural for Ol’ Dirty Bastard put a smile on his face. The mural depicts ODB’s fantastic debut album Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, which featured a replica of his NYC public assistance ID card. Moreover, his grandmother’s house isn’t too far down the street either. “I’m so honored, my mother’s honored. Thank you,” Jones said.
Similarly, Wu-Tang Clan themselves commemorated the occasion. They posted a throwback picture on Instagram before the event, where ODB is posted in front of Putnam Avenue. Then, they shared with fans how they could join the proceedings at the time.
Wu-Tang Clan Fans Celebrate Ol’ Dirty Bastard as Brooklyn Renames Street After Him
“Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Unique Ason. Big Baby Jesus. Call him whatever you want — Bed-Stuy is calling it ODB Jones Way,” they wrote. “We heard you. We’ll keep it raw. This Saturday, join @cmchiosse, the Jones family, and the community for the sign unveiling with music by J.PERIOD. Bring everybody.”
Ol’ Dirty Bastard tragically passed away from an accidental overdose at a recording studio in Manhattan in 2004. Witnesses noted that he complained about chest pain at the time, while the autopsy revealed he had a lethal mixture of cocaine and tramadol in his system. He was 36 years old at the time.
In his book The Tao of Wu, RZA mourned the late rapper by marveling at his genius, regardless of the demons he was facing. “Trust me, the man who became ODB, Ason Unique, my cousin, he was a scientist and a minor prophet… People may not know this from the outrageous character he played, but ODB was a visionary. But he decayed, he lost that vision… From the time they put him in jail to all the drugs he was doing to all the stress he went through with his family, it took away his ability to see,” he wrote.
Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives
The post Ol’ Dirty Bastard Honored With His Own Street in His Home Borough in Brooklyn appeared first on VICE.
