[CrimsonTide4]

ODB Gets Out Of Jail, Goes To Mental Facility
By Chuck 'Jigsaw' Creekmur, BET.Com Staff Writer

Posted March 31, 2003-- According to several reports, troubled rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard has been released from an upstate New York prison facility after being incarcerated for two years.

The rapper had a number of concerts scheduled but he is still mentally unstable according to the RZA, the unofficial head of the Wu-Tang Clan.

"[He]got out a few months ago... but he's in a secure mental hospital type place... hopefully they'll let him out in three months, but right now they say it's not safe for him to be in contact with the public," RZA told playlouder.com.

Still, The RZA stated that he was confident that ODB, widely considered to be the most charismatic member of Wu Tang, would eventuallt be back in full force.

RZA said, "when [ODB is] out...the sh*t he's got will blow the whole world away."

In July of 2001, ODB, born Russell Jones, was sentenced to 2-4 years in prison for possession of 20 vials of crack cocaine. Previously he was being held in a psychiatric ward for fear that he would attempt suicide.

With Wu-Tang, Ol' Dirty has sold millions of albums, but over the years, the rapper's professional life has been complicated by personal and legal problems ranging from getting shot to being a fugitive.