The Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in Hobart, Tasmania, is set to host the first-ever public listening events for the rarest album on Earth, ‘Once Upon a Time in Shaolin’ by the Wu-Tang Clan. The sole copy of the album will be on display as part of Mona’s upcoming exhibition, ‘Namedropping,’ from June 15-24.
Visitors will have the opportunity to experience a 36-minute mix of the album, played from a customized Wu-Tang PlayStation 1 in Mona’s recording studio, Frying Pan Studios. The album, which took six years to complete, features 31 tracks recorded in secret by members RZA, GZA, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, Raekwon the Chef, Ghostface Killah, U-God, Masta Killa, and Capadonna.
‘Once Upon a Time in Shaolin’ was sold to disgraced pharmaceutical entrepreneur Martin Shkreli in 2015 for $2 million. Shkreli gained notoriety for raising the price of life-saving HIV drug Daraprim from $13.50 to $750 per pill. The US Department of Justice seized the album from Shkreli in 2021, who was convicted of securities fraud and conspiracy in 2017. The federal authorities sold the album to digital art collective Pleasr for $6 million to cover Shkreli’s debts.
In a statement, Pleasr said it was honored to partner with Mona to ‘support RZA’s vision.’ The Wu-Tang Clan’s intention with this album was to redefine the meaning of music ownership and value in a world of digital streaming and commodification of music.
Tickets for ‘Namedropping’ will be available through the Mona website from May 30. This is a unique opportunity for music enthusiasts to experience one of the most enigmatic and sought-after albums in history.
