A Brooklyn street has been co-named in honor of one of hip-hop's most singular figures, turning a family's long-held dream into reality. The intersection of Putnam Avenue and Franklin Avenue now carries a second name, ODB Jones Way, paying tribute to Ol' Dirty Bastard, the rap icon and founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan.
The honor recognizes Russell Tyrone Jones, who rose to fame as Ol' Dirty Bastard and helped shape one of the most influential groups in the history of the genre. Known to the world by his stage name, Jones left a lasting mark on hip-hop before his life was cut short, and the new street sign now anchors his memory to the Brooklyn community he came from.
Jones died in 2004 of a drug overdose at the age of 35, a loss that reverberated through the music world and among the fans who had followed the Wu-Tang Clan's rise. More than two decades later, his presence remains strong enough in the neighborhood that residents and family pushed to see his name permanently fixed to the streetscape.
The campaign for the co-naming was led by Jones's three children, who made the tribute their mission. They said the effort began three years ago, and that they went through the community person by person, knocking on doors and collecting the signatures needed to move the honor forward through the official process.
For the family, the grassroots nature of the push was a point of pride. They stressed that the recognition was something they worked for rather than something simply handed to them, describing how they put boots on the ground and earned the honor block by block until the plan came together.
The result is a lasting marker at Putnam and Franklin, where ODB Jones Way now stands as a permanent nod to a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan. The co-naming adds to a long tradition of New York City honoring cultural figures with street signs, weaving the legacy of a hometown artist into the everyday fabric of the borough that raised him.