Icelene Jones, the widow of the Wu-Tang Clan’s Ol’ Dirty Bastard and the sole executor of Ol' Dirty's estate, has filed suit against Wu-Tang Productions for years of unpaid royalties. According to Variety, the suit alleges that the late emcees’s estate is owed at least 1 million dollars. Wu-Tang Productions is accused of not paying royalties to the estate from 2011 until July 2021; when a check was issued to the estate for the amount of $130,000.

Wu-Tang Productions is owned and operated by Robert Diggs aka The RZA who is the cousin of Ol’ Dirty Bastard, born Russell Jones. The estate reportedly received payments in 2019 and 2020 from Warner – Tamberlane Publishing Corporation, but those were allegedly a fraction of what is actually owed according to Jones. The suit further alleges that the estate has repeatedly requested detailed accounting statements with no success. RZA told Page Six that the situation was "unfortunate" since he is "one phone call away."

"We have been very supportive in providing economically to the family through the estate and to his wife and children on record and off record," RZA states. "ODB's potential share of those records in minimal, are dismal, but nevertheless after those products are recouped his prorated portion belongs to him."

A 1992 recording contract states that ODB was to be paid 50 percent of net earnings on the publishing of his copyrighted songs and the estate is claiming that it is owed royalties on merchandising and videos as well. The ten-page filing, filed in New York Supreme Court alleges breach of contract, and seeks damages of no less than $1million, plus interest, attorney’s fees and costs. The complaint describes Russell Tyrone Jones who performed under the name Ol’ Dirty  Bastard as “A world renowned rapper, producer and songwriter who co-founded the Wu-Tang Clan in Staten Island, N.Y. in 1992 alongside fellow members including Dennis 'Ghostface Killer' Coles, Corey 'Raekwon' Woods and Gary 'GZA' Grice."