The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable review
The lore of Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, once bought by Martin Shkreli, is explored in a rambling film produced by RZA
TL;DR
- The Wu-Tang Clan's seventh album, 'Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,' was a 31-track double album recorded secretly and released as a single copy.
- The album's stipulation was that it could not be used for commercial purposes for 88 years, a move seen as either a stunt or an artistic statement.
- The single copy was purchased for $2 million by Martin Shkreli, the 'pharma bro' known for price gouging.
- The documentary 'The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable' focuses on the album's controversial producer, Tarik Azzougarh (Cilvaringz), rather than solely on the album's infamy.
- The film chronicles Azzougarh's ambition, his connection to Wu-Tang, and his rise within the group, using his personal archive.
- Critics found the film repetitive and one-sided, with minimal input from other Wu-Tang members.
- The documentary raises questions about the value of music versus art and the public's entitlement to free music.
- Martin Shkreli appears in the final third of the film, with details about his plans for the album, but the film avoids clickbait and conflict.
- The album was later bought by NFT collective PleasrDao for $4.75 million in 2021.