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Shkreli's Wu-Tang Album: From Supervillain to NFT Mystery
23 Jan
Summary
- The Wu-Tang Clan's unique album sold for $2 million in 2015.
- Martin Shkreli's ownership led to legal battles and government seizure.
- The documentary explores the album's creation and mysterious fate.
The extraordinary story of the Wu-Tang Clan's single-edition album, "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin," is detailed in the documentary "The Disciple." Minted as a one-of-a-kind collector's item, the album fetched $2 million in a 2015 auction, with hedge fund founder Martin Shkreli emerging as the buyer.
Shkreli's subsequent infamy and imprisonment led to the U.S. government acquiring the valuable boxed set. The documentary, directed by Joanna Natasegara, centers on Tarik Azzougarh, known as Cilvaringz, who was instrumental in conceptualizing and producing the album. His journey from a bullied youth in the Netherlands to an associate of the Wu-Tang Clan is explored.
While the nine core Wu-Tang members were not interviewed, archival footage is used, and RZA served as an executive producer. The film highlights Cilvaringz's ambition and persistence in connecting with the group, culminating in the six-year project of "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin." The unique concept of selling it as a work of art was approved by a majority of the members.
