Once Upon a Time in Shaolin

Wu-Tang Clan released Once Upon a Time in Shaolin as their seventh studio album, but this record defies standard industry logic. Recorded in secret between 2007 and 2013, the project features the full nine-member group alongside Redman, Cher, Carice van Houten, FC Barcelona players, and the Wu-Tang Killa Beez. RZA and Cilvaringz crafted fifteen tracks of gritty hip-hop to challenge the devaluing nature of digital streaming. They produced only one physical copy on a custom hard drive, banning any downloads or streams. In 2015, Martin Shkreli purchased this unique artifact for $1.5 million at auction. Following his securities fraud conviction, federal agents seized the album, selling it to PleasrDAO in 2021 for over $4 million. A strict legal agreement prevents commercial exploitation until 2103, though the group hosted listening parties starting in June 2024 at Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art. Critics praised the concept as a work of art, while Guinness World Records certified it the most valuable album globally.[edit]