The documentary features access to ODB’s closest friends and family, including Mariah Carey, Wu-Tang Clan members Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, ODB’s wife Icelene Jones, his son Bar-Sun Jones, his parents, and recording industry executives. With never-before-seen personal archive footage shot by his wife, Icelene, this culture-defining special humanizes ODB as a man, a father, and a husband like never before. This definitive documentary provides an intimate picture of ODB’s life and reflects on the lasting impact he had on music and culture.

Born Russell Jones in 1968 in Brooklyn, NY, ODB developed a unique persona and rhyme style that set him apart from his contemporaries. In his short 35 years of life ODB had a significant influence on a whole generation of fans and performers. Ol’ Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys documentary centers on ODB’s solo career, from his first album release in 1995 until his untimely passing in 2004. Charting his meteoric rise and heart-breaking fall, the film interweaves a modern narrative that looks back at his trauma-filled childhood to examine how it influenced the man and artist he would become. A celebration of his artistry and legacy, the documentary is an unflinching look at the complexities of his life, including addiction, adultery, fame, mental illness, sudden wealth, race, and criminal justice, and asks the question of just how complicit the media and music industry were in hastening his demise.

After the Screening:

A conversation with Icelene Jones, Bar-Sun Jones (aka YDB), Sam Pollard and Jason Pollarrd, moderated by Editor-in-Chief of XXL Vanessa Satten