Wu-Tang Clan regret selling ‘Once Upon a Time in Shaolin’ to Martin Shkreli.
The legendary rap group chose to put the only copy of the album ever made up for auction in 2015, when it became the most expensive work of music ever sold – but RZA, the de facto leader of the group, regrets that it fell into the hands of Shkreli, who was later convicted of fraud.
Discussing Wu-Tang’s ambitions for the album, RZA explained: “The idea was to make something that was unique, that had a value of its own.
“We actually, when we let it go, the quote that came out of my head was like, ‘Yo. This thing is going to have a life of its own, like a child.'”
RZA now regrets that the album was acquired by the former hedge fund manager, who was charged and convicted of fraud in 2017.
The 52-year-old rap star told Hot97: “No disrespect to Martin Shkreli because I don’t ever knock somebody who, you know, when somebody buys something they buy something, right?
“But it was in the wrong hands, in all reality. He made the deal before it was revealed of his character, his personality, and all the insidious things he would go on to do.
“That wasn’t the guy I met but he definitely unfolded into that guy and he had control of this one-of-a-kind piece of art.”
The album has since been bought by PleasrDAO after it was seized from Shkreli by the US government.
As a result, RZA now feels more comfortable about the situation.
He said: “Everybody’s got a right to buy something that’s for sale. But now I think it’s in the right hands.”