An album so rare and valuable that only a few ears have ever heard it is set to go on display at an Australian gallery, offering the public a glimpse of its exclusive tracks. "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin," recorded in secret by the Wu-Tang Clan over six years, is housed in an ornate silver box and designed to be a piece of fine art. Only a single CD copy exists.
This record by the pioneering hip-hop group is the most expensive ever sold. Currently on loan to Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art (Mona), the album will be featured in the Namedropping exhibition, which examines status, notoriety, and "the human pursuit."
From June 15-24, Mona will host small listening parties where members of the public can hear a curated 30-minute sample of the album. Mona Director of Curatorial Affairs Jarrod Rawlins expressed the album's significance, stating, "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... I knew I had to get it into this exhibition."
The Wu-Tang Clan, formed in Staten Island in the early '90s, is credited with revolutionizing hip-hop, though they are also known for their violent and sexually explicit lyrics. "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" was recorded in New York City and produced in Marrakesh between 2006 and 2013, featuring all nine surviving members of the group, as well as pop artist Cher and "Game of Thrones" actress Carice Van Houten.
The group created the album as a response to the devaluation of music through online streaming and piracy, adopting a Renaissance-style approach to offering it as a commissioned commodity. The album includes a hand-carved nickel box, a leather-bound manuscript with lyrics, and a certificate of authenticity, along with a legal condition that the owner cannot release the 31 tracks for 88 years. Producer RZA compared it to a Picasso artwork or an ancient Egyptian artifact, emphasizing its uniqueness as an original piece rather than a master copy.
Only a handful of people have heard snippets of the album. A group of potential buyers and media listened to a 13-minute section in 2015, and disgraced pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli, who purchased the album for $2 million, streamed clips of the music on YouTube to celebrate Donald Trump's 2016 election victory. After Shkreli was convicted of defrauding investors in 2018, he was forced to hand over the album to US prosecutors, and it was later sold to the digital art collective Pleasr.
In a statement, Pleasr said the Mona listening parties help realize the group's "bold vision to make a single copy album as a work of fine art." Mona, known for its provocative exhibitions, continues to push boundaries with this rare and exclusive showcase.
