Method Man finally heard Wu-Tang’s rare album. His verdict: ‘I don’t hate it’
Method Man heard the completed Once Upon a Time in Shaolin for the first time at a Brooklyn listening session, then gave a mixed but warmer verdict than his earlier criticism suggested.
Method Man has finally heard Wu-Tang Clan’s one-copy album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. At a Brooklyn listening session featured in the October 16 episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out, the rapper heard the completed record for the first time and gave it a mixed but partly positive review, Billboard and Rolling Stone reported.
‘I don’t hate this album,’ he said, according to Billboard. He heard nostalgic moments, thought some passages ran long and said he could see why listeners might like or even love it. That verdict carries weight: Method Man had recorded contributions for the album without ever hearing its finished version.
What Method Man said about Cilvaringz
Method Man said producer Cilvaringz sometimes imitated RZA’s sound so closely that it became ‘a little mimicky,’ Billboard reported. But he also praised the production as comparable to some of RZA’s earlier work and said his fellow Wu-Tang members sounded good. He singled out Raekwon’s appearance on the final track as a poor fit for that song.
The reaction marks a shift from Method Man’s earlier criticism. Rolling Stone reported that he had objected to the album’s one-copy format and lengthy restriction on commercial release, and had been especially harsh toward Cilvaringz. Method Man said he approached this listen with a ‘chip on my shoulder’ because of the record’s history, according to Billboard, but concluded it was better than he had expected.
Why Once Upon a Time in Shaolin is so rare
Cilvaringz produced the 31-track double album, which was conceived as a single piece of art rather than a conventional commercial release, Billboard reported. Martin Shkreli bought it for $2 million in 2015. After the U.S. government seized it, the collective PleasrDAO bought it for a reported $4 million in 2021, according to Rolling Stone. Those changes in ownership have kept the record in public view even as access to its music has remained limited.
The October 16 episode offered a small glimpse of the music: Billboard identified a snippet featuring Method Man about 39 minutes in, while Rolling Stone reported that Pablo Torre Finds Out shared two clips centered on him. Rolling Stone also reported continuing legal issues over whether Shkreli illegally copied the album; it did not report a resolution.
The listening arrives as the album gets another look in The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable, a Netflix documentary about its creation with Cilvaringz that premiered October 16, both outlets reported. For Method Man, the new encounter was more personal: he was hearing the finished work he had helped make years earlier.
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Sources and context
- Method Man Finally Hears Wu-Tang Clan’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Shaolin’ for the First Time: Here’s How He ReactedBillboard
- Method Man Hears Wu-Tang Clan's One-Copy-Only Album for First Time: 'I Don't Hate It'Rolling Stone
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.