Wu-Tang to release one copy of its secret album

We've got some good news and bad news for Wu-Tang fans. The good news: the long rumoured double-album drop is nearly upon us. The bad? There'll only be one copy, attached to a seven digit price tag.

The 31-track double-LP The Wu – Once Upon A Time In Shaolin has supposedly been in the works since the late 90's, a project attempting to recapture the group's early sound and energy. The band have now revealed, in an interview with Forbes, that their latest creation has more in common with a work of art than a usual record release.

"We’re about to sell an album like nobody else sold it before," RZA told Forbes. "We’re about to put out a piece of art like nobody else has done in the history of [modern] music. We’re making a single-sale collector’s item. This is like somebody having the scepter of an Egyptian king."

Before going on sale, the album will tour several museums and galleries (including the Tate Modern) encased in a stunning box engraved by Yahya - an artist usually commissioned by royal families and business leaders.

"The idea that music is art has been something we advocated for years," said RZA. "And yet its doesn’t receive the same treatment as art in the sense of the value of what it is, especially nowadays when it’s been devalued and diminished to almost the point that it has to be given away for free."

There's a chance that fans will be able to pay to listen to the album in full at such exhibitions, having undergone a thorough pat-down to ensure they're not sneaking in any recording devices.

As to who will buy the album? The price is yet to be announced, but Wu-Tang have commented that it will be "in the millions". If a company decides to purchase the LP, or one individual gets their hands on it, it'll be interesting to see how fans go about tracking down the album.

(Via: Forbes)

(Images: Forbes)