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Ol' Dirty Bastard Estate Sues Wu-Tang & RZA For $1 Million

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Source: UPROXX VIDEO/youtube;mega

Feb. 8 2022, Published 4:03 p.m. ET

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Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s family is demanding $1 million from Wu-Tang Productions.

According to court documents obtained by Radar, ODB’s widow Icelene Jones — who is the administrator of the late rapper’s estate — is suing the company owned and operated by Robert Fitzgerald Diggs aka RZA – ODB’s cousin.

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Icelene explains in 1992 OBD co-founded Wu-Tang with a group of artists — Ghostface Killer, Raekwon and GZA. They entered into a deal where they would provide their services to Wu-Tang Productions for 50% of the net royalties and advances.

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ODB also granted Wu-Tang Productions and RZA the rights to use his name and likeness in connection with merchandise and other videos.

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odb rza pp
Source: UPROXX VIDEO/youtube;mega
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Per their deal, Wu-Tang agreed to provide royalty statements and make timely payments.

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Icelene points out during the eleven years covering ODB’s association with the Wu-Tang Clan and his career as a solo artist, ODB authored or co-authored a ton of tracks.

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On November 13, 2004 ODB died during a recording session. Icelene says since 1992 through the present, Wu-Tang and RZA “widely exploited the rights granted to it by ODB with various albums, merchandising rights, a video game, clothing lines, television productions and a wide array of other products.

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ODB’s estate says they have been unable to obtain payments and accountings from Wu-Tang and RZA since 2011. "Since at least 2011 ̧ Defendant has failed to render account statements to the Estate under the Recording Agreement," the estate claims.

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The only exception Icelene says was a $130k payment in 2021. The check allegedly had no information on the payment and was only sent after they made numerous demands.

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The estate says, "With the exception of the July 2021 Payment and the Warner-Tamerlane Direct Payments, [Wu-Tang] has failed for over 10 years, to pay or case to be paid royalties due under the Recording Agreement. The July 2021 Payment and the Warner-Tamerlane Direct Payments represent only a small percentage of amounts payable to the Estate under the Recording agreement."

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“Defendant has failed and refused to pay sums justly due and owing to Plaintiff thereunder in connection with the commercial exploitation of the Wu-Tang Clan Recordings ODB’s solo recordings, ODB's Compositions, merchandising rights, and Videos,” the suit reads.

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ODB’s estate is seeking in excess of $1 million in damages.

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Source: UPROXX VIDEO

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