.chronology(2014)Once Upon a Time in Shaolin(2015)(2017)Once Upon a Time in Shaolin is the seventh studio album by American group. It was limited to a single copy sold in 2015, and is the most expensive individual album ever sold.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, then auctioned through auction house in 2015.
The winning bidder was American businessman. A legal agreement with the purchaser stipulates that the album cannot be commercially exploited until 2103, although it can be released free or played during listening parties.In March 2018, following Shkreli's conviction for securities fraud the previous year, a federal court seized assets belonging to him, including Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.
The ornate casing for the albumInspired by the success of 's mixtape, limited-edition copies of which sold for $100, Cilvaringz and co-producer decided to create Once Upon A Time In Shaolin as an. Feeling the value of music had been cheapened by and, they hoped to return music to the value of.
They wrote on their website:The music industry is in crisis. The intrinsic value of music has been reduced to zero. Contemporary art is worth millions by virtue of its exclusivity.
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By adopting a 400 year old Renaissance-style approach to music, offering it as a commissioned commodity and allowing it to take a similar trajectory from creation to exhibition to sale. We hope to inspire and intensify urgent debates about the future of music.The album was held in a silver jewel-encrusted box with a wax Wu-Tang Clan seal and leather-bound liner notes. On March 3, 2015, it was detained at for three hours while border control determined the contents of its box. In March 2015, Wu-Tang Clan exhibited the album for the only time, to a crowd of about 150 art collectors, dealers, and critics in Queens, New York. Attendees were searched for recording devices.
About 13 minutes of the album were played to the audience. Auction Once Upon A Time In Shaolin was auctioned through in 2015, which had previously sold works by artists including,. The winning bid was accepted on May 3, 2015, followed by months of legal diligence. The sale was completed on August 26, 2015, at a price 'in the millions' to a 'private American collector'. A legal agreement stipulated that the album cannot be commercially exploited until 2103, although it can be released free or played at listening parties. CEO, who won the only copy of Once Upon a Time in Shaolin at auctionOn December 9, identified the buyer as CEO, who had paid $2 million. RZA said that the sale was agreed before Shkreli's controversial price hike of the anti-infective agent.
He said that the Wu-Tang Clan had donated a 'significant portion' of the proceeds to charity upon learning the buyer's identity, including the Children's Literacy Society, the Hip Hop Chess Federation and TTAC, an institution focused on showcasing for cancer.In January 2016, Shkreli told that he had considered destroying the record or 'installing it in some remote place so that people have to make a spiritual quest to listen'. He promised to release the album free if won the. After Trump was elected, Shkreli streamed excerpts of the album online.In September 2017, Shkreli attempted to sell Once Upon a Time in Shaolin on, with the winning bid passing $1m. He was incarcerated on unrelated fraud counts before the sale could be completed. RZA said he disapproved of the sale: 'I didn't like the idea of him putting it on eBay. I think he could have got more than what he paid.
I was actually impressed that within eight days he got up to $1m in bidding. If it had been left a bit longer, no telling how far it would have gone.' RZA hoped to buy it himself, but was contractually unable to.However, RZA or any other members of the Wu-Tang Clan could have tried to reacquire the record through outright theft, according to a highly unusual clause in the sale contract:. “The buying party also agrees that at any time during the stipulated 88 year period, the seller may legally plan and attempt to execute one (1) heist or caper to steal back Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, which, if successful, would return all ownership rights to the seller. Said heist or caper can only be undertaken by currently active members of the Wu-Tang Clan and/or actor, with no legal repercussions.”This purported contract clause was later reported to have been a hoax.In March 2018, following Shkreli's conviction for fraud, a federal court seized assets belonging to him worth $7.36m, including Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.
Shkreli's lawyer said the album was now 'probably worthless'. Music According to reporting from the exhibition in Queens, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin is 'rich, layered, and sonically bombastic', with a 'rugged, hard-hitting sound' reminiscent of early Wu-Tang Clan albums.
It begins with 'ominous, foreboding' sounds of rain and thunder, before rapper begins the first verse. Other sounds include fire sirens, crowd applause, and a marching drum beat. Appears twice, as singer and actress, and closes the record with the 'belted' words: 'Wu-Tang baby, they rock the world'. Shkreli played the record during his interview with Vice writer Allie Conti, who said: 'From what I heard, it was definitely better than their last album, although I wouldn't say it's worth $2 million necessarily.' Response Many fans reacted negatively to the news of the single-copy album, believing the album would not be available to the public until 2103.
Wu-Tang member spoke out against the 88-year commercial ban, blaming fellow member RZA and producer Cilvaringz. RZA replied that the ban was necessary to maintain the integrity of the album as a work of art and to deflect any notions of a grand marketing. According to him, the number 8 bears symbolic significance because there were eight original members of the Wu-Tang Clan, the numbers of the year 2015 add up to eight, Paddle8 has eight in its name, and a rotated eight is the symbol for, which was used on their second album,.The certified Once Upon a Time in Shaolin as the most valuable album in the world, surpassing records by and.In February 2016, artist Jason Koza sued RZA, Cilvaringz, Paddle8 and Shkreli in the for the alleged unauthorized use of his artwork on the album. Track listing The track listing was compiled. Shaolin School. 'Entrance (Intro)' – 1:57.
'Rivals' – 4:12. 'Staple Town Pt.
1 (Interlude)' – 0:44. 'Ethiopia' – 7:55. 'Handkerchief' – 0:49. 'Staple Town Pt. Tshepo Mokoena (January 8, 2015).
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