Putnam Avenue in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood received a new co-name on July 26 during a ceremony honoring Wu-Tang Clan co-founder Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
The block now bears the name ODB Jones Way. The event brought together the late rapper’s friends, family members, and local officials.
Ol’ Dirty Bastard, whose real name was Russell Tyrone Jones, grew up in nearby Fort Greene but maintained strong ties to Bed-Stuy. His eldest brother, Ramsay Jones, noted that the street sign stands at the corner where their grandmother still lives. A mural of Jones’ debut solo album also appears on the same block.
Jones died in 2004 at age 35. Two documentaries have since examined his life: an unauthorized 2013 film and a 2023 A&E production made with family approval.
