Controversy Surrounding Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin Album Ownership and Distribution

The saga of Wu-Tang Clan’s rare album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin continues as Martin Shkreli, the infamous “Pharma Bro,” finds himself in hot water once again. The album, which was sold to Shkreli for $2 million in 2015, has been at the center of controversy since he was ordered to hand it over by a federal court in 2017.

Recently, a federal judge temporarily barred Shkreli from disseminating the album after he was sued by its current owners, PleasrDAO, for allegedly making copies of the record and playing it online for the public. The lawsuit claims that Shkreli hosted a listening party on X (formerly Twitter) where he played music from the album to nearly 5,000 listeners.

Shkreli’s actions have not gone unnoticed, with PleasrDAO’s lawyer Steven Cooper stating, “His pattern of bad behavior has gone on for a very long time, and a lot of it was directed against my client.” The civil suit is set to be heard on June 25, where Shkreli will have to face the consequences of his actions.

In an effort to make the album more accessible to the public, PleasrDAO has loaned Once Upon a Time in Shaolin to the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Australia for an exhibition called Namedropping. The tracklist, featuring every surviving member of Wu-Tang Clan and Cher, will be played for free at the venue from June 15–24.

MONA’s director of curatorial affairs, Jarrod Rawlins, expressed his excitement about the upcoming event, stating, “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin is more than just an album, so when I was thinking about status, and what a transcendent namedrop could be, I knew I had to get it into this exhibition.”

With its unique history and legal restrictions, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin continues to captivate music fans and art enthusiasts alike, showcasing the intersection of music, art, and ownership in the digital age.