New Podcast ODB: A Son Unique To Drop Tuesday, November 7
Hosted by Khalik Allah, The Eight-Part Series Tells The Complex Life Story of The Man Best Known As Ol' Dirty Bastard
From USG Audio, Novel & Talkhouse,
Listen To The Trailer Now:
Most people remember Ol' Dirty Bastard as the stage-crashing, secret weapon of Wu-Tang Clan. A raw showman whose death left the world of music, and those closest to him, shocked and confused. But Ol' Dirty Bastard, aka Ason Unique, was far more complex. He was a man of many names, a God in hip hop, a father, husband, and someone who struggled with addiction and mental health.
Hosted by New York-based photographer and filmmaker Khalik Allah, ODB: A Son Unique takes listeners on a journey into the legendary rapper's complicated world. The first three episodes drop Tuesday, November 7, with two new episodes releasing every Tuesday.
Subscribe to ODB: A Son Unique on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever podcasts are available, and listen to the trailer out today: HERE.
Remarked Allah: "To me, Ol' Dirty Bastard is a legend and a prophet of Hip Hop. To lend my voice as a host to this podcast has been a true honor and a way of praising the life of one of the most unique geniuses in music. Our lives intersected in many ways, from having mutual friends to both having been enrolled in the curriculum of the Five Percent Nation. Working on this podcast has been a privilege and now I hope the world gains a new perspective on the short but profound life of Ason Unique, also known as the Ol' Dirty Bastard; the Brooklyn emcee stormed the 1998 Grammy stage and said 'Wu-Tang is for the children.'"
ODB: A Son Unique pays homage to a singular rap icon who left an indelible mark on Hip Hop. Host Khalik Allah, who started his career photographing the Wu-Tang Clan, tells the story of ODB from a young prankster growing up in Brooklyn to the formation of the most iconic group in New York hip-hop history: Wu-Tang Clan; and the chaotic production of his debut solo album. Allah tells the story of a man caught between the values of the Five Percent Nation – Black nationalist ideology – and a toxic mix of fame, mental health, and a racist criminal justice system which contributed to his untimely death at just 35 years old.
Through archival interviews with Popa Wu, who served as a mentor for both Ol' Dirty Bastard and Allah, and new interviews with Buddha Monk, Raekwon, detective Derrick Parker, Ol' Dirty Bastard's brother Ramsey Jones, biographer Jaime Lowe, lawyer Peter Frankel, writer and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib and more, ODB: A Son Unique offers an unforgettable story about Black life in America through the lens of a kindred spirit.
About Khalik Allah
Khalik Allah (b.1985) is a New York-based photographer and filmmaker whose work has been described as "street opera" – simultaneously visceral, hauntingly beautiful and penetrative. Khalik's passion for photography was sparked when he began photographing members of the Wu-Tang Clan with a camera he borrowed from his dad. Real and raw, his profoundly personal work goes beyond street photography. His eye for daring portraiture and bold aesthetics takes us into an entire world. While the people he photographs on the corner of 125th and Lexington Avenue in Harlem have been his central inspiration, his work also extends to documentary film with "Field Niggas," a chronicle of summer nights spent at the intersection of 125th Street and Lexington Avenue. The film takes its name from Malcolm X's famous lecture, "Message to the Grassroots." Khalik shoots with a manual, analogue film camera, as photography and film-making form a venn diagram in his work.
About USG Audio
USG Audio, a division of Universal Studio Group, creates fiction and non-fiction podcasts with series ranging from investigative true-crime to sports and genre-bending narratives. Led by Jordan Moblo, EVP of Creative Acquisitions and IP Management, the division's award-winning podcasts include writer and producer David Kushner's family saga "Alligator Candy"; "The Lost Kids," an investigative deep-dive into the search for missing teens, hosted by journalist Josh Bloch; "The Followers: House of Prayer," which centers on a daughter's call to police about memories of her mother's alleged crime; "You Didn’t See Nothin," following writer Yohance Lacour as he revisits a 1997 hate crime on the South Side of Chicago; and Ambie Award nominee "The End Up," a scripted cerebral thriller from Sam Esmail, Will Weggel, Danny Luber, Chad Hamilton and David Wiener. USG Audio projects are available on USGAudio.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.
About Novel
Novel is the leading independent premium podcast company making shows that go long on story, rich in detail and heavy on sonics. The world is now building a new kind of relationship with audio and Novel is at the forefront of shaping that landscape. Their stack of chart-topping, award-winning podcasts include The Girlfriends, Stolen Hearts, Harsh Reality, Superhero Complex and Filthy Ritual. By drawing deeply from their tastes and maintaining a magpie eye for the new and the next, they're truly championing their mantra of 'Brave New Audio'.
About Talkhouse
Talkhouse is a Webby-Award-winning first-person media company and outlet for musicians, actors, filmmakers, and others in their respective fields. Talkhouse Network's slate of podcast series includes the hit show How Long Gone, Alison Roman's Solicited Advice, That's How I Remember It with Craig Finn, Santigold's Noble Champions and Kimbra's Playing With Fire, as well as Listening, an unprecedented new program featuring Jeff Tweedy, Neko Case and more that The Guardian describes as "part podcast, part album," and Björk: Sonic Symbolism, which GQ praises as "a road map to the creative life," delivering what The New Yorker calls "a rare chance to listen in as one of the most mysterious and mystical artists working today explains herself." On Talkhouse.com, artists write essays and criticism from firsthand perspectives, speak one-on-one with their peers via the Talkhouse Podcast and Talkhouse Live events, and offer readers and listeners unique insight into creative work of all genres and generations. Talkhouse is writing and conversations about music and film, from the people who make them.
Our audience has come to understand and cherish the fact that we serve as a platform for getting them inside the minds of their favorite artists and filmmakers. As one of the only "first-person" media outlets, Talkhouse allows musicians, actors and filmmakers to reach fans directly, in their own words. By working directly with creators from the worlds of music and film, Talkhouse has built a media brand that is firmly rooted in authenticity, credibility, and creativity - and, through branded content initiatives and special projects, we aim to bring those values to life together with like-minded partners. Follow Talkhouse at Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.