From time to time, everyone on the Internet gets a potent lesson in the timeless maxim “Don’t believe everything you read.” The most recent teachable moment was part of the media frenzy surrounding the $2 million sale of the Wu-Tang Clan‘s album Once Upon A Time In Shaolin to controversial mogul Martin Shkreli.
Price-Gouging Drug Executive Revealed as Buyer of Wu-Tang Clan Album
According to a single tweet, the legendary rap collective retained some rights to the album as part of the sale — they, or Bill Murray (who appeared alongside GZA and RZA in Jim Jarmusch’s 2003 movie Coffee and Cigarettes), could reclaim it…but only in a heist.
Forget the $2M, this is easily the most interesting part of the whole deal between Wu-Tang and Martin Shkreli. pic.twitter.com/5nSshXhjnJ
— Rob Wesley (@eastwes) December 9, 2015
The tweet was intended as a joke (as confirmed by Billboard), but was so widely reported as an actual clause in the bill of sale that RZA even responded:
We’re really getting the urge to call Bill Murray.
— RZA! (@RZA) December 11, 2015
The whole situation is so implausible (a finished, pressed album being sold to one person for $2 million) that hip-hop fans can probably be forgiven for believing Bill Murray would somehow be involved. “I have no comment,” Shkreli cryptically told Newsweek in a statement, “other than I would honor the terms specified.” He later continued the joke on Twitter:
I wish you would. https://t.co/Lbk9Vgzuse
— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) December 11, 2015