The Dirty Version

A decade after his death at the age of thirty-five, Wu-Tang Clan's Ol' Dirty Bastard lives on in epic legend. Now, Dirty's friend since childhood, Buddha Monk--a collaborator onstage and in the studio with the raucous and renegade group that forever altered the hip-hop world--reveals the truth about the complex and talented performer. From Dirty's days with Buddha on the streets of Brooklyn to the meteoric rise of Wu-Tang's star, from his bouts in prison to his court-mandated rehab, from his favorite kind of pizza to his struggles with fame and success, Buddha tells the real story--The Dirty Version--of the legendary rapper. "Monk captures [ODB's] charisma and charm, but also the joy and pain that fame brought [him], as well as the drugs, the women and the demise. It's a great work in honor of an individual who tried to walk the best line he could." --Ebony "Cuts through the urban legends to present more complex sides to the infamous icon."--i-D Magazine "An eye-witness account about the life and times of the larger-than-life character."--Philadelphia City Paper "Monk is a genial narrator and provides an authentic look at the N.Y.C. hip-hop scene [and] a unique perspective on the troubled life of an intriguing artist." --Publishers Weekly