Wu-Tang Clan's Legendary "Once Upon A Time" Album Loaned Out To Australian Museum

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Wu-Tang Clan Portrait Session
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL, 1997: (L-R) U-God, Method Man, Raekwon, GZA, Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, RZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard of the American rap group Wu-Tang Clan pose for a portrait circa April, 1997 in New York, New York. (Photo by Bob Berg/Getty Images)
Only the most dedicated fans will be able to hear the record.

New York's own Wu-Tang Clan are about as essential to the history of hip-hop as anyone. Their legendary debut album Enter The Wu-Tang is still considered among the best in the genre's entire history. In fact, the record landed on Apple Music's recent countdown of the Top 100 Albums of all time. The album sits at number 37 on the list just a few spots ahead of Nas' classic debut album Illmatic and a few spots behind Public Enemy's It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back.

But it isn't the only record in the group's history that has achieved a legendary status. Their project Once Upon A Time is legendary for very different reasons, because almost nobody has heard it. The record has a bizarre story that many rap fans will be familiar with. It fell into the possession of notorious "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli where he claimed he would hold onto the record indefinitely. Due to his legal troubles it eventually ended up in the hands of art collective Pleasr. That's how the record ended up on loan at a museum, where a select group of fans will be able to hear it. Check out the details of the museum and its newest exhibit below.

Wu-Tang's Secret Album Added To Museum Collection

The record is on display in Tasmania and the Museum Of Old And New Art, shortened to MONA. It's just one piece in an upcoming exhibition called "Namedropping." Fans looking to see the rap group in a live setting could make the likely shorter trip to Las Vegas later this year. After getting rave reviews on a handful of performance they did in the city earlier this year, they recently announced two more shows for September.

What do you think of Wu-Tang Clan's famous album Once Upon A Time In Shaolin being loaned out to a museum in Australia? How far would you travel for an opportunity to hear the legendarily secretive album? Let us know in the comment section below.

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About The Author
Lavender Alexandria is a music and culture journalist based in Los Angeles, California. She’s covered dozens of musical genres and styles from the most mainstream to the most experimental and underground on her blog and accompanying YouTube channel that looks at music, pop culture, and Billboard charts since 2017: Lav’s Music Corner. Lavender has produced editorial and listicle content both in written and video form over the past far years and has also interviewed up-and-coming artists like Censored Dialogue. Her experiences covering culture have taken her from Hyperpop parties in LA to underground rap shows in Atlanta, to DIY punk shows in Charlotte. Lavender has also written for iHeartRadio, covering some of the biggest artists in Hip Hop such as Ice Spice, Drake, Doja Cat and Cardi B. She also has bylines with ScreenRant and continues to write for Ringtone magazine. Lavender is a lifelong Charlotte Hornets fan and her favorite rap artists include Clipping, Little Simz, Earl Sweatshirt, and Kendrick Lamar.
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