Rare Wu-Tang Clan's album to finally grace public ears!
The Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in Hobart, Tasmania, is set to publicly debut the "only" physical copy of Wu-Tang Clan's album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. This rare album was secretly recorded between 2006 and 2013 and was previously owned by pharmaceutical entrepreneur Martin Shkreli. It is now on loan from digital art collective Pleasr for Mona's upcoming exhibition Namedropping, which explores status, celebrity, and notoriety.
Know more about the group
Established in 1992, Wu-Tang Clan stands as a legendary American hip-hop collective. Comprising iconic figures like RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa, alongside the late Ol' Dirty Bastard until 2004, they reshaped the landscape of East Coast hip-hop. Renowned for their influence and innovation, Wu-Tang Clan is hailed as one of the greatest hip-hop groups of all time.
What makes the album unique?
Often referred to as the "most valuable ever made due to its rarity," the album features contributions from all surviving members of the Wu-Tang Clan group and includes two appearances from songstress Cher. It is housed in an ornate silver box and was intended as a statement about the impact of streaming and piracy on the value of music. Producers Cilvaringz and RZA described it as "400-year-old Renaissance-style approach to music"—aiming to inspire urgent debates about the future of music.
Album cannot be used for commercial purposes until 2103
A single two-CD copy of the album was pressed in 2015, with all digital master files subsequently "deleted." A unique legal agreement stipulates that the album cannot be used for any commercial purpose until 2103 or 88 years after its creation. RZA explained that this number was chosen because there were eight original Wu-Tang Clan members—the numbers of the year 2015 added up to eight, and a rotated eight is the symbol for infinity.
Album's journey from Shkreli to Pleasr and Mona Museum
In 2015, a 13-minute medley of the album was played at New York's MoMa to about 150 art experts, rap fans, and prospective buyers. Shkreli later attempted to sell the album on eBay where bidding reached $1.2M—but failed to complete a sale. After his conviction for securities fraud in 2018, Shkreli was forced to surrender the album along with other assets totaling $7.4M. In 2021, Pleasr acquired it from the US Department of Justice for $4M to cover Shkreli's debts.
Public debut of Wu-Tang Clan's album at Mona Museum
Mona will hold free ticketed listening sessions from June 15-24 where attendees can hear a curated 30-minute mix of the album played from a personalized Wu-Tang PlayStation 1 inside Mona's recording studio, Frying Pan. This marks the first time that this unique album has been loaned to a museum since its original sale. "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin is more than just an album, so... I knew I had to get it into this exhibition," said Mona director.
