Martin Shkreli purchased the Wu-Tang Clan’s one-of-a-kind album, Once Upon a Time In Shaolin last year for a reported $2 million. Shkreli has been criticized for his business practices including purchasing the HIV drug Daraprim and raising its price from $13.50 to $750.
RZA addresses the purchase of the album in an interview on Bloomberg‘s “With All Due Respect” program.
“He bought it, he can do what he wants,” RZA says. “The power of art is I could never discriminate. If the most greatest man in the world was the one who wanted to possess it, it woulda been his objective. If my enemy came to an auction and was like, ‘Yo, I want that picture of RZA just to throw darts at it,’ it’s being auctioned. So that’s something that I could never, ever, at this age in my life and through the years, I could never discriminate who appreciates art.”
In an exclusive interview with HipHopDX, Shkreli shared his impression of the Wu-Tang rapper.
“He definitely acts like his shit doesn’t stink and he invented Rap,” Shkreli says. “This concept of selling one album, this shit’s backfiring for him now.”
RZA responds to these comments with a smile.
“That’s a little hostile, but what could backfire from creating a piece of art, having an idea and see it grow into fruition?” he says. “As far as me being arrogant? It depends on what day you catch me. I could be arrogant, right? But most people that know me respect me because I am down to earth and very communicative.”
The full episode of “With All Due Respect” is scheduled to air today (January 6) at 5 pm EST on Bloomberg Television.
For additional Wu-Tang Clan coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
That’s a retarded statement and you’re not retarded, right RZA? I mean… I know you’re not.
Fuck that album and shkreli can eat a dick
Fuck both of them traitors to humanity, nobody was gonna buy that shit anyway. We live in download world and that fucking traitor sold it to a tyrant who has meds that help people survive but wants to extort people, the whole wu tang can eat a dick and I hope shrelli the shit king chokes on his money…. God bless us all
That’s why its a win for Rza, didn’t cost him shit to make, I’m sure he made the beats in his own studio and he made 2 mil off of it
How is the album “growing into fruition” when he threatened to.destroy that muthaffucka? They both took the L and the fans will probably never hear it, 3 L.s.
RZA sharper than a muthafucker…..the sale was made and the whole WU made some bank on it.
My point exactly
Pot, meet kettle! He has a lot of nerve calling RZA arrogant. Pretty sure last time Martin Shreleki took a shit he trolled Taylor Swift so she would use it in her next fragrance. Out of all the mainstream artists, he has one of the diverse vocabularies, he can be arrogant-rap wouldn’t be the same without RZA! Like corporate greed is super original! Get on Madoff’s level before you try to mouth off about lack OF humility. You ain’t the first or the best to ever leverage drugs for population control.
I hate to be on RZA’s Side for even selling an album to one person and having the 99 years stipulation BS. BUT they “Wu-Tang” donated proceeds to charity what has that scumbag Martin Shkreli done ….. taken medication and made it absolutely unaffordable to the people that need it, stolen from the companies he worked for to line his own pockets sits him self on a high chair and see”s him self as a victim for being a coward and monster for killing thosands of men and women that depended on life saving drugs . If there’s an after life this scum will be sitting in hell next to Hittler in hell.
Martin Shkreli would get an ass-whopping from me on GP.
Thanks RZA you played yourself.
Well hell if I can’t listen to it then who cares who buys it .Sounds like a money-making scheme and that punk-assed dude exposed him .
FINALLY. A level headed, calm, honest, intelligent person comes along and absolutely schools that Shkreli dork. RZA is the badly needed antidote to the disease called Martin Shkreli.
What woulda been sick is if RZA bought 2 million dollars worth of Darapram with the money, and handed it out to those in need.