Icelene Jones, the widow of Old’ Dirty Bastard and the the exclusive executor of his estate, has sued Wu-Tang Clan Productions for unpaid royalties dating back years, Variety reports.
Jones asserts that a 1992 recording contract entitles Ol’ Dirty Bastard (whose legal name was Russell Tyrone Jones) to 50% of net royalties from publishing and recording, as well as merchandise sales and videos.
She is seeking at least $1 million in monetary damages, interest, and legal fees.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York last year sold the Wu-Tang Clan’s one-of-a-kind record Once Upon a Time in Shaolin—the album it taken from shamed pharma CEO Martin Shkreli—to a PleasrDAO, a blockchain-based org with at least one unknown member.
In 2018, the estate of Ol’ Dirty Bastard launched a cryptocurrency called “Dirty Coin” that allowed fans to purchase exclusive merch, connect with the rapper’s music archive, and purchase tickets to his tours and shows. Proceeds had been intended to go toward projects for Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s son, a rapper known as Young Dirty.
Source: Pitchfork
