The widow of Ol’ Dirty Bastard sued Wu-Tang Clan Productions on Tuesday, alleging that the late rapper’s estate is owed at least $1 million in unpaid royalties.
ODB, whose legal name was Russell Tyrone Jones, was a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, the rap group that catapulted to stardom in the early 1990s. He died of a drug overdose in 2004 at the age of 35.
His widow, Icelene Jones, alleges in the lawsuit that Wu-Tang Clan Productions did not pay royalties to the estate from 2011 until July 2021, when it sent a check for $130,000. Robert Diggs, better known as RZA, owns and operates Wu-Tang Clan Productions, and is ODB’s cousin. The estate also received some payments in 2019 and 2020 from Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., but the suit alleges that the combined payments are just a fraction of what is owed.
The suit alleges that Jones’ estate has repeatedly sought accountings and payments over the last decade, but that no detailed accounting statements have been provided.
The complaint cites a 1992 recording agreement, under which ODB was to be paid 50% of net earnings on the publishing of his copyrighted songs. The members of the group were also to split 50% of net earnings from the sound recordings. The suit alleges the estate is also owed royalties on merchandising and videos.
The suit was filed in New York Supreme Court. It alleges breach of contract, and seeks damages of at least $1 million, plus interest, attorneys’ fees and costs.
The estate is represented by Brian D. Caplan of Reitler Kailas & Rosenblatt LLC.