Standing out as one of New York City’s most unique MCs of all time, the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s discography chalks full of city anthems, whether spawning from his time with Wu-Tang Clan or his solo career. Passing away in 2004, the Brooklyn native leaves behind a legacy as one of hip-hop’s best, presenting an eccentric, energized style of rap that couldn’t be recreated by anyone else.
Raised in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s raspy, crazily spewed vocals paired with his violent lyricism eventually made him a central figure of the majority Staten Island group Wu-Tang Clan and hip-hop as a whole. Made up of himself, Method Man, RZA, GZA, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, U-God, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, and Cappadonna, the group first came together in 1992.
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the group’s first project would release in 1993 following the immense success of the single “Protect Ya Neck”, highlighting the immense talents he and the rest of the group had in store as one of New York’s rising talents.
His solo career came to fruition in 1995, as Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, would drop on March 28, 1995, chock full of hits symbolizing the city of New York and more specifically his time in Brooklyn. With only Method Man’s solo effort coming out before his, the music industry was able to get its first glance into Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s career outside the infamous group.
With Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version would come one of the rapper’s best performances, an ode to his city and former group through a song known as “Brooklyn Zoo,” as the hidden messages throughout go deeper into his life growing up in Brooklyn and his affiliation with other artists growing up.
Brooklyn’s Finest
Produced by himself and True Master, the track “Brooklyn Zoo” shot to the top of his discography following its release a month prior to his solo debut. This serves as the first real taste of Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s journey outside of the group and would end up being his highest-charting single released, peaking at 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spending 16 weeks on the chart.
Accompanying the track are two separate music videos. The most popular one, which features Wu-Tang members throughout the video, sees ODB loitering around an empty apartment building, most likely abandoned, chanting the malicious words of the track.
A second release, a short film with subtitles, came out with more of a storyline, with the rapper portraying a man completing his prison sentence and transitioning through his life returning home to gang violence. A majority of networks denied air of the film due to its explicit subject matter, but is known as the “Chinatown Version” with much of the film taking place in that section of NYC.
Considered a hip-hop classic, the single goes deep into the “one-man army” that Ol’ Dirty Bastard calls himself, diving into his life growing up in the streets of Brooklyn as well, directly calling the region a zoo. The song’s many hidden meanings behind the title leave countless interpretations of ODB’s wordplay and past experiences.
“Shame on you, when you step through to the Ol’ Dirty Bastard, straight from the Brooklyn Zoo”
Other than its references to Brooklyn’s actual zoo in Prospect Park and the streets he grew up in, the track also mentions the second hip-hop group ODB was additionally a part of, Brooklyn Zu. Having an affiliation with the Wu-Tang Clan, Brooklyn Zu includes some of Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s closest colleagues 12 O’Clock, the rapper’s cousin, Buddha Monk, Raison the Zu Keeper, and others.
Since the group’s formation around the same time as Wu-Tang Clan, many of the members have been featured on ODB’s Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, also releasing their own project Chamber #9, Verse 32 in 2008.
Dissecting the streets of Brooklyn for his listeners, the aggressive track truly encapsulates the one-of-a-kind style of rap/lyricism that ODB brings to the table. The countless New York interpretations behind the name of the track leave fans and avid rap listeners room to experience Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s work.
“Brooklyn Zoo” Lyrics
Shit
Word, I’ll bust that n***a ass right now
Ain’t no, none of them n***as can’t fuck with me
What? N***a, you could never fuck with me, my n***a
I’ll fuck you up right now, what? What? What? (Fuck you n***as)
Bust your motherfucking ass, boy
I ain’t no motherfucking joke
You know who you talking to? (Yo, word up, bust that n***a ass, word up)
Ol’ Dirty Bastard, you know what I’m sayin’?
I’ll fuck you up right now
Yeah, what? What? What? (Serve that n***a, yo)
He ain’t sayin’ nothin’, fuck him (he ain’t sayin’ nothin’, fuck him)
I’m the one-man army, Ason
I never been tooken out, I keep MC’s looking out
I drop science like Cosby dropping babies
Enough to make a n***a go crazy
In the G building, taking all types of medicines
Your ass thought you were better than
Ason, I keep planets in orbit
While I be coming with deeper and more shit
Enough to make you break and shake your ass
As I create rhymes good as a Tastycake makes
This style, I’m mastered in
N***as catching headaches, what? What? You need Aspirin?
This type of pain you couldn’t even kill with Midol
Fuck around, get sprayed with Lysol
In your face like a can of mace, baby
Is it burning? Well, fuck it, now you’re learning
How I don’t even like your motherfucking profile
Give me my fucking shit, ch-ch-blaow
Not seen and heard, no one knows
You forget n***as be quiet as kept
Now you know nothing
Before you knew a whole fucking lot
Your ass don’t wanna get shot (shot)
A lot of MC’s came to my showdown
And watched me put your fucking ass low down
As you can go, below zero
Without a doubt I never been tooken out
By a n***a, who couldn’t figure
Yo, by a n***a, who couldn’t figure
Yo, by a n***a, who couldn’t figure (Brooklyn Zoo)
How to pull a fucking gun trigger
I said, “Get the fuck outta here”
N***a wanna get too close, do the utmost
But I got stacks that’ll attack any wack host
Introducing, yo, fuck that n***a’s name
My Hip Hop drops on your head like rain
And when it rains it pours, ’cause my rhymes hardcore
That’s why I give you more of the raw
Talent that I got will riz-ock the spot
Mc’s I’ll be burning, burning hot
Whoa-hoa-hoa, let me, like, slow up with the flow
If I move too quick, oh, you just won’t know
I’m homicidal when you enter the target
N***a get up, act like a pig trying to hog shit
So I take yo’ ass out quick
The mics, I’ve had it my n***a, you can suck my dick (dick)
If you wanna step to my motherfucking rep
Ch-ch-bloaw-blaow-blaow, blown to death
You got shot ’cause you knock, knock, knock
“Who’s there?” Another motherfucking hard rock
Slacking on your macking ’cause raw’s what you lack
You wanna react? Bring it on back (back)
Shame on you, when you step through to
The Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Brooklyn Zoo
Shame on you, when you step through to
The Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Brooklyn Zoo
Brooklyn Zoo (what?)
Shame on you, when you step through to (my n***a)
The Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Brooklyn Zoo
Shame on you, when you step through to
The Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Brooklyn Zoo
Shame on you, when you step through to
The Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Brooklyn Zoo
What? My n***a
Shame on you
Shame-
Shame on you when you step through to
Shame on, shame on, shame on you when you step through to
Shame on you when you step through to
The Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Brooklyn Zoo
Shame on you when you step through to
The Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Brooklyn Zoo
What? My n***a
