Method Man listens to Wu L.P. 'Once Upon a Time in Shaolin' for first time ever

[The Predator]

Meth's heard it now, we still aint 

The most expensive album in music history is a controversial, 1-of-1 work of art, owned by "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli, then the feds... and now a mysterious digital art collective named pleasrDAO. But, in no small part because the album's NFT-style circus began to fracture their team, Wu-Tang Clan's most famous member had never actually heard "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin." Until now.

• Learn more about pleasrDAO and the album: https://www.ouatis.art/

• Send Pablo your confidential tips: https://www.pablo.show/p/tips

PREVIOUSLY ON PTFO:

• You Don't Know Method Man — and You Don't Know His Stories
• Method Man and Masta Killa Declare the Chess Grandmaster of Wu-Tang Clan
• Knicks (and Wu-Tang) Recruitment Videos for Kawhi, KD & Kyrie, Revealed

(Pablo Torre Finds Out is brought to you by Apple Card.)



TIMESTAMPS



The Quest to Hear the Most Expensive Album
This video documents a unique and high-stakes journalism project led by host Pablo Torre. The goal: to finally facilitate a first-time listening session for Method Man, one of the most iconic members of the Wu-Tang Clan, of their legendary, one-of-a-kind album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin (0:00-1:45).

The Controversial Origin Story (1:45-2:45)
The Genesis: The album was conceived by RZA's protégé, a producer named Cilvaringz who aimed to create a compilation featuring Wu-Tang members (1:48-2:02).

A Work of Art: On March 26, 2014, the group announced that only one copy of the album would ever exist, aiming to redefine recorded music as fine art rather than a commercial product (2:06-2:30).

The Secrecy: The recording process was fragmented; members recorded their verses in isolation, meaning many, including Method Man, were unaware of what the final product sounded like, contributing to his feelings of estrangement from the project (2:33-2:40, 5:29-5:35).
The Saga of Ownership (2:42-4:12, 12:48-13:10, 24:08-27:14)

The Auction: The album famously sold at auction for $2 million in 2015.
Martin Shkreli: The buyer was the controversial "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli, whose public persona turned the album's narrative into a chaotic, "WWE-ish" spectacle that further alienated members of the Wu-Tang Clan (3:39-4:12).

Federal Seizure: Following Shkreli's legal issues, the U.S. government seized the album as part of a forfeiture order (26:16-26:45).
PleasrDAO's Acquisition: The mysterious digital art collective PleasrDAO eventually purchased the album from the Department of Justice for $4 million (26:52-27:14). Host Pablo Torre reveals the serendipitous connection: his friend Emily Yang (also known as the digital artist People Pleaser) was part of the community that acquired it (11:04-14:49, 16:20-17:30).

The Private Listening Party (6:52-9:50, 31:34-32:27)

The Setting: To bridge the gap between the artist and his work, Pablo organized an ultra-private listening event at an exclusive Brooklyn bar,

Eaves Drop, with no phones allowed to ensure total privacy and presence (6:52-7:10, 30:00-30:10).

The Experience: The atmosphere was described as "very meta," with attendees feeling like they were eavesdropping on something intensely personal that was never meant for the public (30:57-31:29).

The Music: A rare, uncensored snippet of the album is shared, capturing the raw energy of the Wu-Tang sound (32:31-33:15).

Method Man's Honest Review (35:10-38:30, 41:00-43:50)

Unbiased Assessment: Despite his long-standing grievances regarding the secrecy and the "gimmicky" nature of the album's release, Method

Man approached the listening session with an open mind (7:42-8:03, 36:28-37:25).

Artistic Praise: He acknowledged the production quality, noting that Cilvaringz "did his numbers" and that the project, while long and at times mimetic of RZA's style, held genuine artistic merit (35:27-35:50, 36:49-37:05).

Reconciliation: Method Man concluded that the album is now in "great hands" with PleasrDAO, signaling a sense of closure and respect for the art itself, even if the process of its creation remained frustrating (41:29-41:36, 42:25-42:46).

[WCThang]

Give the fans this album!