Three of the original members of the Wu-Tang Clan were related. That’s right, founders Robert “RZA,” Diggs, Gary “GZA” Grice GZA, and Russell “Ol’ Dirty Bastard” Jones were cousins. Rumor has it that Dirt Dag recycled rhymes from his brethren for his debut album. ODB passed away in 2004 from cardiac issues related to an accidental overdose.
The family bond was highlighted in Hulu’s TV series Wu-Tang: An American Saga. The infamous rap group put Staten Island on the hip-hop map and the group would not have come together if it were not for these three blood relatives putting their heads together and forming the 9-man posse. Check out this early GZA and ODB freestyle.
Read: Wu-Tang Clan’s ‘Wu-Tang Forever’ was the first hip-hop album to go No. 1 in the U.K.
Read: It Costed Wu-Tang Clan $300 to record “Protect Ya Neck”