Born Russell Jones in Brooklyn, Ol' Dirty Bastard-a name he chose because "there was no father to his style" broke out of the borough in the '90s as a founding member of East Coast rap masters Wu-Tang Clan. Blending rapping and singing, Dirt's unique delivery and outrageously personality connected big time, and he followed Method Man as the second Clansman to launch a solo career. Scrapes with the law and personal troubles mounted, though, and ODB passed away in 2004 while recording new material, but his larger-than-life impact on hip-hop is a constant.