Wu-Tang Clan Announces Posthumous Album Featuring Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Popa Wu
The Wu-Tang Clan has officially announced an upcoming posthumous album titled “Rise of the Forgotten Legends” featuring Ol’ Dirty Bastard (ODB) and Popa Wu: The Iconic Legends, slated for release in summer 2025. The highly anticipated project will be released under Selah Studios, as revealed through the late ODB’s official Instagram account and various hip-hop news outlets earlier this week.
This project marks a powerful homage to two of Wu-Tang’s most influential figures—Ol’ Dirty Bastard, the wildly charismatic and unpredictable founding member, and Popa Wu, the spiritual elder who shaped the Clan’s ideology. Both men left indelible marks on the hip-hop world, and this album seeks to preserve and expand their legacies for longtime fans and new listeners alike.
According to early reports, The Iconic Legends will feature digitally remastered versions of some of ODB’s most iconic solo tracks, interlaced with rare freestyles, behind-the-scenes recordings, and never-before-heard verses. The project also aims to highlight Popa Wu’s philosophical influence with spoken-word segments, spiritual interludes, and unreleased teachings, many of which delve deep into the Five Percent Nation principles that inspired much of Wu-Tang’s lyrical content.
Producers close to the project have teased guest appearances from surviving Wu-Tang members, as well as collaborations with new-generation artists who credit ODB and Popa Wu as major influences. While specific names have yet to be confirmed, the project is expected to carry the signature Wu-Tang sound—raw, gritty, and rich in culture.
Selah Studios, the label spearheading the project, described the album as “a celebration of energy that can’t be duplicated—a restoration of the raw spirit that built the Wu.” They also noted that the album will be accompanied by limited edition vinyls, merchandise drops, and a short documentary chronicling the making of the album and the lives of the two icons.
Fans and hip-hop historians alike are calling this one of the most important posthumous releases in recent memory. As anticipation builds toward summer 2025, Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Popa Wu: The Iconic Legends promises to be more than just an album—it’s set to be a sacred archive of voices that helped shape hip-hop’s golden era.
