The saga of this
rapper had taken several odd twists. In 1993, he was convicted of assaulting a bar patron. In 1994, he was shot in the stomach by a rival rapper. He released his solo album,
Return to the 36 Chambers: the Dirty Version in 1995. After that, he has had many encounters with the Justice System.
1997
He was arrested in 1997 for failure to pay back child support.
1998
In February of 1998, the ODB, along with several men, helped free a four-year-old girl from underneath a 1996 Mustang. The girl had been crossing the street and was struck, disappearing under the car. Her mother screamed for help, and the ODB, who was in a nearby recording studio, rushed to her aid. He later visited the girl in the hospital to check on her condition.
A few days later, during the Grammy awards, he hijacked the mic from Shawn Colvin who had just won an award. He ranted about Puff Daddy's award in the rap category. He apologized afterwards.
In April, he requested he be known as Big Baby Jesus. The new moniker didn't quite stick.
In late June, his Range Rover was stolen in front of a recording studio.
Later on July 1, the ODB was attacked in his Brooklyn apartment. Several armed assailants entered through an unlocked door and stole jewelry. One intruder fired a pistol and hit the ODB in the back. The wound was superficial - the bullet exited through the arm. The ODB went to a nearby hospital and was treated. He left shortly afterwards, ignoring the doctor's request for observation.
On July 4, he allegedly stole a pair of $50 Nike sneakers from a Virginia Beach store. He and his lawyer missed the court date, and on July 28, a Virginia judge issued a warrant for the ODB.
On September 17, the ODB was arrested in Los Angeles for threatening to shoot and kill security guards at the House of Blues nightclub. He was watching a show when he was kicked out for allegedly drunken behavior. The ODB then made threats at the security guards. He was arrested and charged with making terrorist threats. He was also held for an unrelated traffic warrant.
With a warrant still out for him in Virginia, officials there said they would not pursue extradition, in light of the fact the alleged stolen item was $50.
In early November, he was arrested for making terrorist threats. Yes, again. This time, he tried to enter his ex-girlfriend's workplace in Carson, California, a Los Angeles suburb. He had previously threatened to kill her if she didn't return the child support money he gave her, and she notified police that he was headed her way.
1999
In January, New York City policemen stopped a Chevy Tahoe for a traffic violation. Shots were fired from inside the vehicle, and a shootout followed. No one was hurt, and the ODB and a fellow passenger, his cousin, was arrested.
In February, a grand jury concluded the ODB should not face charges for the shootout. The police's version of the story could not be verified, there was no gun recovered, and there was no ballistic evidence.
That same month, Los Angeles police stopped the ODB for parking in a no-parking zone and noticed he was wearing a bulletproof vest. Under California law, it is illegal for violent felons to wear body armor. Since the ODB had a second-degree assault convinction in New York in 1993, he was in violation of the law.
On March 22, he was charged for possessing crack cocaine and operating a vehicle illegally in New York. A few days later, March 27, he was arrested for double-parking and driving with a suspended license.
In April, the ODB's legal troubles decreased slightly. The charge from November 1998 that he made threats to his ex-girlfriend was dropped because witness testimony conflicted with police reports.
In November, he pleaded no contest to the body armor and terrorist threat charges and was sentenced to three years probabtion. He spent the next month at Impact House, a rehabilitation center in Pasedena, California.
ODB released his second solo album, Nigga Please.
2000
In January, he was arrested for violating probation. He had returned to his Los Angeles home in possession of alcohol.
In March, he was sent to California's Chico State Prison for a 90-day evaluation, and was subsequently sent back to Impact House. The ODB left without court approval to make a music video in Baltimore. Upon his return, a judge revised his sentence so that he could not leave Impact House without the judge's permission.
In mid-October, prior to an October 17 court date, the ODB fled Impact House. Since Impact House is not a lock-down facility, he was able to just walk out. Los Angeles Superior Court judge Marsha Revel issued a no-bail bench warrant for his arrest.
On November 21, the ODB was a special guest at a 4000-person capacity concert in New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom. He performed with the other members of the Wu-Tang Clan to promote their new album, doing three songs. He told the shocked crowd, "I can't stay on the stage too long tonght - the cops is after me." Even with police outside the club, he managed to get in and out without being detected.
As of this date, he has warrants in New York, California, and Virginia.
ODB was arrested in south Philadelphia on the morning of November 27, inside a McDonald's restaurant. He was eating and signing autographs when a crowd gathered. The owner of the restaurant, unaware of who he was and his situation, called the police, in fear of disturbance.
An officer arrived and he was then taken into custody without further incident. He was detained in Philadelphia until he waived extradition proceedings at a hearing on December 19. This allowed New York police to transport him to answer charges there.
2001
He was arraigned shortly after New Year's 2001, for the 1999 drug possession charges. ODB plead not guilty, and the court denied bail. His attorney asked for a continuance in February, which pushes his trial to March 16, the 8th delay for the proceedings.
He plead guilty in April and was sentenced on July 18 to 2 to 4 years with credit for 10 months already served. He will serve his time in a New York state prison. ODB requested Arthur Kill Corrections Facility in the Wu-Tang homebase of Staten Island but officials have not decided where to place him yet.
The agreement with the prosecutors also allowed him to serve the time for his offenses in California concurrently.
2002
ODB released an album, The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones on the D-3 label. Since ODB was incarcerated, material was scarce, and the album was heavily padded by unknown producers. ODB himself disavowed knowledge of the project.
2003
ODB was signed to Roc-a-Fella Records immediately after his release from prison.
2004
On November 13, 2004, ODB complained of chest pains and collapsed in the recording studio. He died, according to his label. Further details are unknown at the moment.
On December 15, 2004, the details of his autopsy revealed a double plastic bag of cocaine in his stomach. Lethal amounts of cocaine and Tramadol were found in his system, and accidental overdose was ruled as the cause of death.