Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Nigga Please (September 14, 1999)
Gone were the good-natured ruffneck antics of his acclaimed debut, Return To The 36 Chambers (The Dirty Version), as well as most of his Wu-Tang Clan compatriots. There was only the ODB and his paranoid, bizarre rantings, barely contained within ominous song titles like “Gettin’ High” and “You Don’t Want To F**k With Me.” Big Baby Jesus’ performance bordered on the pathetic, resembling nothing more than a series of shrieks, grunts and wails; the album’s production, headed by the Neptunes, the RZA and several others, barely redeemed it. Nigga Please was bugged-out, wildly uneven … and one of the most compelling albums of the year. Rarely has rap music been visited by a vision so personal, so reflective of its drugged, self-indulgent state that it is an aural cry for help. Guests included Chris Rock, Lil Mo (on the Billie Holiday cover “Good Morning Heartache”); Kelis added a chorus to “Got Your Money” an ode to pimping that became the album’s sole breakout hit. Elektra.