The Wu-Tang Clan really is nothing to f* with. In a move to fight against music piracy and return the power to the artists, the group announced that their newest album, One Upon a Time in Shaolin.
The album will be available for listening at select museums for a price. Before listening to the 128-minute album the audience must surrender all electronic devices to security. To top it off, the album can only be experienced through headphones to minimize the risk of a bootleg escaping.
You might not even get to hear it, but that is one of the coolest album covers ever! photo: Forbes
At the end of the public tour, the album will be put up for sale. Wu Tang Clan intends to set the price ‘in the millions of dollars,’ making this one of the rarest and most expensive albums ever released. Don’t be fooled, the buyer doesn’t just get handed a CD, the album comes enclosed in a mysterious silver container that looks like it’s out of Arabian Nights. While the buyer would be paying an absurd amount, once the album is purchased it is theirs to use. Will the buyer decide to keep it locked up as a trophy, or will they put the album in its entirety online for free?
Whatever the outcome of this gamble one thing is for sure; Wu Tang Clan will be remembered. RZA, impromptu spokesman for the group, let it be known that he is hoping to set a precedent with this release that others can follow in the future. In this era of mass production and internet diffusion, Wu Tang is making a strong statement, letting fans know that Once Upon a Time in Shaolin cannot be theirs for the click of a button. No doubt people will be upset with the decision; in the eyes of Wu Tang though, at least they will be remembered, its up to the public to decide how.
While this is by no means the first one-off album release, this is the first time that a one-off album has been put on tour. Also, this is likely going to be one of the most expensive albums ever purchased; whether by a private collector or a company wanting to make a statement.
