The owners of Wu-Tang Clan's mysterious Once Upon a Time In Shaolin album have revealed themselves after purchasing the album from the federal government for $4 million.
A group of 74 crypto advocates and NFT collectors, known as PleasrDAO, purchased the album from the government using a deal broker. The buyers originally chose to remain anonymous after acquiring the project, which was seized from Martin Shkreli, but has now detailed the purchase in a new YouTube video.
"This beautiful piece of art, this ultimate protest against middlemen and rent-seekers of musicians and artists, went south by going into the hands of Martin Shkreli, the ultimate internet villain," said Jamis Johnson, PleasrDAO's "Chief Pleasing Officer."
In the video, Johnson is seen meeting with an attorney and a team of three security guards before arriving at a studio space to view the album covers. He later visits the deal broker at an office to listen to the album and confirm its authenticity.
While Shkreli threatened to destroy the album, Johnson claimed the collective wants to share the album with fans. However, PleasrDAO has been engaged in discussions with RZA and producer Cilvaringz regarding a possible release.
When Once Upon a Time In Shaolin was announced, the rule was that whoever purchased the multi-million dollar project couldn't release it to the public until 2103. An NFT of the album was created as part of the ownership deed, meaning PleasrDAO could potentially expand ownership.
As discussions between RZA, Cilvaringz, and PleasrDAO remain ongoing, Cilvaringz said he and RZA want to honor the NFT concept without breaking their original rules. Watch PleasrDAO's acquisition of the album above.
