Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, the rare Wu-Tang Clan album whose sole copy was purchased by Martin Shkreli in 2015 and later resold at auction, will receive its first public plays next month at listening parties at Australia’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA).
Three years ago, cryptocurrency collective PleasrDAO said it would make Once Upon a Time in Shaolin more widely available after purchasing it from the US government. (Once Upon a Time in Shaolin was seized by the federal government from Martin Shkreli after his seven-year prison sentence.) Now, the rare album will be part of the Tasmanian museum's Namedropping exhibition.
Check out our selection of free stations streaming Wu-Tang Clan music at Live365.com.
The group's seventh studio album will be the centerpiece of the exhibit, and select visitors will have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hear it in person. In addition to hearing a 30-minute excerpt of the album, the physical record will be on display.
The museum’s director of curatorial affairs, Jarrod Rawlins, said in a press release, “Every once in a while, an object on this planet possesses mystical properties that transcend its material circumstances. Once Upon a Time in Shaolin is more than just an album, so when I was thinking about status, and what a transcendent namedrop could be, I knew I had to get it into this exhibition.”
“Final thing on the Wu-Tang bucket list, and probably the only chance you’ll ever get to hear it,” MONA shared on Instagram. “Run don’t walk, bring da ruckus, etc.”
According to the Pleasr contract, the album cannot be commercially exploited until 2109, but it can be played at private listening events such as MONA’s. The exhibition runs from June 15-24. You can try your luck at getting tickets here. Tickets will be released at 10am local on Thursday, May 30.
The album was recorded in secret over six years. A single two-CD copy was pressed in 2014 and stored in a secured vault at the Royal Mansour Hotel in Marrakech, Morocco. Purchased directly from the Wu-Tang Clan in 2015, it became the most expensive work of music ever sold. It was through Paddle8 that same year, where Martin Shrkeli bought it for a reported $2 million.
See MONA's post about Once Upon a Time in Shaolin below.
Check out our selection of free stations streaming Wu-Tang Clan music at Live365.com.
Rather listen on our app? Download the Live365 app on iOS or Android. Ready to start your own station? Contact one of our Product Consultants or visit our website today. Keep up with the latest news by following us on Facebook (Live365 (Official) and Live365 Broadcasting) and Twitter (@Live365 and @Broadcast365)! You can also shop Live365 swag and branded merchandise at store.live365.com.
Article Image: Photo of the Wu-Tang Clan album "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" in its special silver box. (monamuseum via Instagram)
