In an effort to create awareness for their collaborative reunion album, A Better Tomorrow, the Wu’s RZA has unfoiled a (pretty genius) promotional project. The group has announced they will be selling one copy of a “secret” album they’ve recorded, entitled Once Upon A Time In Shaolin. “We’re about to put out a piece of art like nobody else has done in the history of [modern] music,” he said. “We’re making a single-sale collector’s item. This is like somebody having the scepter of an Egyptian king,” said the RZA.
The album, encased in the engraved silver-and-nickel box you see above, will be taken on a “tour” through museums, galleries and festivals around the world, where visitors can listen to the full 128-minute, 31-song record on headphones — but not without a small charge, of course. Once Upon A Time In Shaolin will then be put on sale “in the millions.”
Though it probably won’t sell, imagine if it does? Look at it this way, no matter what they’re gonna get a ton of promo from this news and, if it DOES sell, they get paid. Win, win.
This one-of-a-kind album is separate to A Better Tomorrow, the 20th anniversary LP the Wu are (hopefully) dropping this Summer. It will, however, feature the original clan members as well as a “few special guests,” with production coming from Morocco-based Cilvaringz.
