Method Man Hears Wu-Tang Clan’s One-Copy-Only Album for First Time: ‘I Don’t Hate It’
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
Method Man has heard Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin for the first time and said, “I don’t hate it”, revising his earlier criticism. He praised producer Cilvaringz’s work and called the album “a valid piece of art”, a notable shift for a rapper who had argued its secrecy overshadowed the music.
Conceived by RZA and Cilvaringz, the album was made as a one-copy release, with public access intended to be restricted for 88 years. Martin Shkreli bought it for $2 million in 2015; after the government seized it in his securities fraud case, PleasrDAO bought it for $4 million in 2021. The public has still not heard the full album, and legal issues remain over whether Shkreli illegally copied it.
- Method Man says he does not hate the album.
- He praised Cilvaringz’s production after hearing it.
- The public still cannot hear the full record.
New here? Start with this
Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from New York, with members who have also released music on their own. Once Upon a Time in Shaolin is an album conceived by group leader RZA and producer Cilvaringz, and produced mostly by Cilvaringz.
The album was made as a single copy, with a restriction limiting public listening for 88 years. It was sold to businessman Martin Shkreli in 2015, then seized by the government after his securities fraud case and sold to the digital art collective PleasrDAO in 2021.
The public has not heard the album in full, and there are legal disputes over whether Shkreli copied it without permission. The unusual sale and access limits have raised questions about how music can be owned and shared, as well as how the album should be judged as a work of art.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The album can be defended as an ambitious work of art that challenges how music is made available and valued. Its unusual production and limited access may invite listeners to consider music as a collectible object, while Method Man’s praise suggests the music itself merits attention beyond the publicity around it.
The case against
The one-copy concept and long listening restriction can be seen as placing exclusivity and spectacle ahead of music’s shared cultural purpose. Method Man’s earlier criticism reflects a reasonable concern that secrecy limits listeners’ ability to judge the album and that concentrating access in private hands risks obscuring the work itself.
More coverage
- Billboard — Method Man Finally Hears Wu-Tang Clan’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Shaolin’ for the First Time: Here’s How He Reacted
- Consequence — Method Man Reacts to Once Upon a Time in Shaolin for First Time: “I Don’t Hate It”