Rating: NNNN
This collection of unissued Ol’ Dirty Bastard tracks was apparently completed and planned for December release prior to the late Wu Tang Clan rapper’s November 13 death in a New York studio where he was working on a new album for Roc-a-Fella. Yet, strangely enough, there’s a shout-out to Roc-a-Fella on the DJ Premier-produced opener, Pop Shots, and Ol’ Dirty refers to himself as Dirt McGirt throughout, which suggests that this characteristically unhinged material could be Roc-a-Fella session outtakes. But by no means are these rough-cut rips throwaways. Osirus is loaded with the Brooklyn Zookeeper’s thuggishly demented rhymes, bolstered by twerked-out beats courtesy of Mark Ronson, K-Def, Dame Grease and the Mountain Brothers’ Chops along with microphone support from Cappadonna, Black Rob and Baby Sham. Grab this quick – Dirty’s widow, Icelene Jones, has just been given legal control of his estate.
