Only one copy of Wu-Tang Clan’s extremely rare record “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin ” is still in circulation. Recorded over six years, Martin Shkreli purchased this covert project for $2 million in 2015. PleasrDAO is a team of digital artists that bought it for $4 million in 2021. Though most fans won’t ever hear this elusive album, a few lucky guests at Tasmania, Australia’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) will have a rare chance.
Selections from “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” will be available for 30-minute listening sessions at MONA’s Frying Pan Studios from June 15 through 24. During the Name Dropping exhibition, which runs for a week, these seminars will take place twice a day. “Final item on Wu-Tang bucket list, and most likely the only opportunity you’ll ever get to hear it,” read a MONA Instagram post. Bring da ruckus, run, don’t walk, etc.â€
The limited access to the show and the uniqueness of the album drew attention to the subject’s Name Dropping addresses. On its website, the museum explores issues of status and importance, asking, “Why are we drawn to particular objects and people? What distinguishes the great names—Porsche, Picasso, or Pompidou? How does status work and what is its purpose? exists something deeper, or is it just culture?
Wu-Tang Clan member RZA apologized in 2021 for selling the music to notorious hedge fund manager Shkreli. Noting Shkreli’s contentious acts, RZA said Hot 97, “It was in the wrong hands.” RZA, nevertheless, is upbeat about PleasrDAO’s ownership and believes it presents fresh opportunities for the album’s influence and legacy.
