A decade after his death at the age of thirty-five, Wu-Tang Clan's Ol' Dirty Bastard lives on in epic legend. Now, Dirty's friend since childhood, Buddha Monk—a collaborator onstage and in the studio with the raucous and renegade group that forever altered the hip-hop world—reveals the truth about the complex and talented performer. From Dirty's days with Buddha on the streets of Brooklyn to the meteoric rise of Wu-Tang's star, from his bouts in prison to his court-mandated rehab, from his favorite kind of pizza to his struggles with fame and success, Buddha tells the real story—The Dirty Version—of the legendary rapper.

"Monk captures [ODB's] charisma and charm, but also the joy and pain that fame brought [him], as well as the drugs, the women and the demise. It's a great work in honor of an individual who tried to walk the best line he could.” —Ebony

“Cuts through the urban legends to present more complex sides to the infamous icon.”—i-D Magazine

“An eye-witness account about the life and times of the larger-than-life character.”—Philadelphia City Paper

“Monk is a genial narrator and provides an authentic look at the N.Y.C. hip-hop scene [and] a unique perspective on the troubled life of an intriguing artist.” —Publishers Weekly

On the tenth anniversary of his death, The Dirty Version is the first biography of hip hop superstar and founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Ol' Dirty Bastard, to be written by someone from his inner circle: his right-hand man and best friend, Buddha Monk. Ol' Dirty Bastard rocketed to fame with the Wu-Tang Clan, the raucous and renegade group that altered the world of hip hop forever. ODB was one of the Clan's wildest icons and most inventive performers, and when he died of an overdose in 2004 at the age of thirty-five, millions of fans mourned the loss. ODB lives on in epic proportions and his antics are legend: he once picked up his welfare check in a limousine; lifted a burning car off a four-year-old girl in Brooklyn; stole a fifty-dollar pair of sneakers on tour at the peak of his success. Many have questioned whether his stunts were carefully calculated or the result of paranoia and mental instability. Now, Dirty's friend since childhood, Buddha Monk, a Wu-Tang collaborator on stage and in the studio, reveals the truth about the complex and talented performer. From their days together on the streets of Brooklyn to the meteoric rise of Wu-Tang's star, from bouts in prison to court-mandated rehab, from Dirty's favorite kind of pizza to his struggles with fame and success, Buddha tells the real story-The Dirty Version-of the legendary rapper.