Wu-Tang Clan’s ‘mystical’ single-copy album to visit Mona this winter for listening parties

Ten years ago, an album with “mystical properties” was secretly recorded by the Wu-Tang Clan, with only one copy ever made. But Mona has struck up an extraordinary deal – meaning you’ll be able to hear it this winter. Here’s how >>

Mona will hold listening parties in Hobart this winter for one of the rarest, most valuable pieces of music ever created, Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. Only one physical copy of the album was ever created, with no ability to hear it digitally. Pictured, the box that holds the priceless album. Picture: Mona

Ten long years ago, an album possessing “mystical properties” was recorded in secret by one of the best hip hop groups of all time.

After six years in the making, Wu-Tang Clan’s legendary Once Upon a Time in Shaolin reached mythic proportions after it was pressed onto a two-CD copy, with the master files then deleted.

That lone copy was sold to a collector for millions of dollars and stored in a jewel-encrusted box, emblazoned with a wax seal of the Wu-Tang logo.

Few ears have ever heard the contents of that box – until now — with Hobart its unlikely and temporary new home.

This winter, Mona will exhibit the album on display as part of its upcoming Namedropping exhibition, and will also hold public listening events in its Frying Pan Studios.

The jewel-encrusted box, emblazoned with Wu-Tang Clan’s logo, holding the world’s sole copy of Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. Picture: Mona

It’s the first time the album has ever been loaned to a museum since its original sale in 2015.

Mona’s director of curatorial affairs, Jarrod Rawlins, said Once Upon a Time in Shaolin was a perfect inclusion for an exhibition zeroing in on “big names” and status.

“Every once in a while, an object on this planet possesses mystical properties that transcend its material circumstances,” Mr Rawlins said.

“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.”

Wu-Tang Clan

The album was put to auction in 2015, and has changed hands once since, with the current owner the digital art collective Pleasr.

The album is bound by a legal agreement, which stipulates it cannot be commercially exploited until 2103.

It can be played at private listening parties, but has so far only been heard by a handful of people around the world.

In a statement, Pleasr said Wu-Tang Clan’s “bold vision” had been to make a single copy album as a work of fine art, to “make music become a living piece like a Mona Lisa or a sceptre from Egypt”.

It said the group intended to redefine the meaning of music ownership and value in a world dominated by digital streaming and commodification of music.

Visitors to Mona can experience a curated 30-minute mix from the album, which will be played from a personalised Wu-Tang PlayStation 1.

A peek inside the priceless box. Picture: Mona

Namedropping will also display the original handwritten lyrics to David Bowie’s Starman, including its edits and spelling corrections, which was purchased at auction by David Walsh in 2022.

Namedropping the Wu-Tang Clan will run twice daily, Friday-Monday, between June 15 to 24, with Mona releasing a limited number of free tickets for each event.

Tickets will become available on Thursday at 10am from mona.net.au/stuff-to-do/namedropping-the-wu-tang-clan

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