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Martin Shkreli is selling his $2 million Wu-Tang album on eBay
Martin Shkreli, for lack of a better/more accurate word, is a gigantic tool. The priapic "pharma bro" gained notoriety after he jacked up the price of an anti-toxoplamosis drug by 5,000 percent in 2015. Later that year, it was revealed that he was the guy who spent $2 million on Wu-Tang Clan's one-off Once Upon a Time in Shaolin as a kind of middle finger to music fans everywhere. Now Shkreli has listed the ultra-rare album on eBay. Here's the item description, verbatim. Emphasis ours:
You can stream songs from Wu-Tang Clan's ultra-rare album
Whatever you think of the outcome of the US election, it's providing a surprise for music fans. You see, Martin Shkreli (the infamous pharma exec who jacked up prices on an HIV/AIDS pill) bought the Wu-Tang Clan's one-copy album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin and said he'd release it if Donald Trump won the presidency. Well, he honored that promise... sort of. After word of Trump's win got out, Shkreli livestreamed both the intro to Wu-Tang's album and one of its tracks. These weren't intended as permanent copies, but this is the internet -- listeners ripped the video feed and put the tunes on other sites. They're not album-quality recordings, of course, but this might be the only chance you get at listening to this exceptionally rare composition.
Most-hated man on the internet bought Wu-Tang's one-off album
Martin Shkreli has a strong claim to be the most hated man on the internet, and his latest obnoxious display of wealth is about to piss off plenty of hip hop fans. Bloomberg has learned that the smirking hedge fund mogul was the mysterious buyer of the Wu-Tang Clan's one-off album, Once Upon A Time in Shaolin. As part of the deal, Shkreli is now the only person in the world that's entitled to listen to the work, with public broadcast blocked until 2103 at the very earliest.
Wu-Tang Clan sells its one-of-a-kind 'Shaolin' album for millions
Remember Wu-Tang Clan's Once Upon a Time In Shaolin album? The group spent nine years recording 31 tracks for a special LP, then decided to sell just one copy of it -- for a very high price, of course. It was finally purchased by a private American collector for "millions," according to Forbes. The deal was completed in May, but the contract was finalized only recently. The buyer will get to listen to the album now, but won't have the right to release it publicly for another 88 years. "The Wu-Tang Clan has always been driven by innovation, and this marks another moment in musical history," said co-founder RZA. He added that "we hoped that this concept would inspire debate and new ways of seeing creativity."
Wu-Tang's RZA on making digital music more physical
Back in October, the news broke that Wu-Tang Clan's A Better Tomorrow would initially be released preloaded on a limited-edition Bluetooth speaker. RZA worked with Boombotix to iron out the details on the special version of the Boombot Rex. A second edition of the gadget is now on the way for those who missed out the first time, allowing fans to once again possess the music like we did in the days of buying physical albums. What's more, his work with Boombotix is ongoing, with new products (like the just-announced Rex+) and more artist collaborations in the works. RZA stopped by to chat with us about the unique distribution system, why he's drawn to these compact speakers, and the process of recording that new album.
Wu-Tang fans hope to liberate 'Shaolin' for $5 million but have a ways to go (updated)
When you have the cultural cachet of someone like the Wu-Tang Clan, there are a handful of luxuries afforded to you that few others have. Like selling the only copy of your upcoming album for $5 million, for instance. But in an effort to free Once Upon a Time in Shaolin's music to less-than-rich listeners, two fans have launched a Kickstarter in an attempt raise enough cash so everyone can hear the exclusive double album. The Staten Island rap group's original idea for the release was to sell it as an ultra-limited edition package after it completes a world-tour where fans could pay between $30 and $50 apiece to listen to it once, in a single sitting, in a museum. Update: This Kickstarter bid -- ambitious as it may be -- likely violates the Kickstarter guidelines. We've reached out to Kickstarter for the official word. Update 2: Of the potential violations we cited (from this page under "What is not allowed," the first, third and sixth), a Kickstarter rep says this project is in the clear.
