Famed podcaster Joe Rogan had expressed his desire to get his hands on a one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album, claiming he would buy it off disgraced businessman Martin Shkreli.
In 2015, the iconic Wu-Tang Clan decided to shake things up a bit by releasing their seventh studio album in a rather unconventional way; pressing just one copy of it and auctioning it off to the highest bidder.
Soon after it went up for sale, it was reported that infamous US businessman Martin Shkreli had purchased the album titled Once Upon A Time In Shaolin for about $2 million USD. Following plenty of scorn for his refusal to share the record with the wider musical community (as he claimed he would), Shkreli then tried to sell it in 2017 for a starting bid of $1.
However, this mess soon took a sharp turn as it was announced that with Shkreli facing up to 20 years in prison for securities fraud, US federal prosecutors were seeking $7.4 million in assets from the disgraced CEO, of which his Wu-Tang Clan album was included.
While Shkreli is serving seven years in prison, fans have begun to wonder just what might happen to this elusive record, including podcaster Joe Rogan, who quizzed Wu-Tang Clan member RZA about the topic during a recent podcast experience.
Check out RZA on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast:
https://youtu.be/FDzDNcglUdo?t=5331
Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast alongside Donnell Rawlings and RZA recently, Joe Rogan asked the latter about what the current status of the record is.
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“What happened to you guys with that one album that that drug pharmacy dude, Martin… what’s his name, Shkreli?” Rogan began. “He actually got a hold of one of your albums, an unreleased Wu-Tang album.”
“The reality of it is that it’s now sitting in a temperature-controlled room in the Department Of Justice,” RZA explained. “He’s incarcerated right now, so I think a lot of his assets have been seized by the government, including that album.”
As the conversation continued, Rogan floated the idea of potentially purchasing the album so that fans could hear it.
“That guy’s gotta be broke… is there a way I can buy that off of him?” he asked. “I would release that online, or release it with you, or let you release it.
“But that, sitting there, makes no sense to me. That box looks dope, and I know that guy’s in jail. When you get out Martin, holla at your boy.”
As part of Martin Shrekli’s original purchase agreement, he was indeed allowed to give away the music for free, but that it wasn’t allowed to be commercially exploited until 2103.
In fact, RZA went on to claim that he urged Shkreli to give the music to fans, stating that he told him, “if I was you, I would take this chance to do philanthropy, and I would give this away to the public.”
While it remains to be seen whether or not Joe Rogan will indeed buy the record, or if he’s even able to purchase an album confiscated by the US Department Of Justice, it goes without saying this is one record some hip-hop fans hope will eventually see the light of day.
Check out ‘Lesson Learn’d’ by the Wu-Tang Clan:
