{
  "id": 15009365,
  "title": "Method Man Finally Hears Wu-Tang Clan’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Shaolin’ for the First Time: Here’s How He Reacted",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/method-man-finally-hears-wu-tang-clans-once-upon-a-time-in-shaolin",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-16T17:53:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Billboard",
    "slug": "billboard",
    "url": "https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/method-man-wu-tang-clan-once-upon-a-time-in-shaolin-reaction-1236361871/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Method Man, a member of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan, has finally heard the long-awaited album \"Once Upon a Time in Shaolin\" for the first time in a recent episode of Pablo Finds Out. The album, recorded by the Wu-Tang Clan from 2007 to 2013, is a one-of-a-kind vinyl record with a single copy owned by the art and crypto collective PleasrDAO. Method Man, known for his contributions to the album, expressed his initial reactions to the listening experience.\n\nWhile Method Man acknowledged that the album had a few nostalgic moments, he also noted that it could be a bit mimicky and long at times. He stated that he did not hate the album, but rather, he didn't find it to be a groundbreaking masterpiece. Method Man admitted to having a \"chip on his shoulder\" about the album's public history, which included being passed around from one individual to another and being seized by the U.S. government. However, he listened to the album with a non-biased approach, not allowing the murky past to affect his review.\n\nDuring the episode, fans were treated to a snippet of one of the album's tracks featuring Method Man's smooth verse, reciting lines such as \"Never tell on your team or take shorts when you're selling the beans/ Catch a body that's a felony thing and every dream starts with C.R.E.A.M. that's on everything.\" Wu-Tang Clan spent six years creating the 31-track double-album, with Cilvaringz as the production mastermind. The album aimed to challenge the conventional music industry norms by being a one-of-one piece of fine art rather than a commercially sold product.",
  "summary": "Art and crypto collective PleasrDAO purchased the one-of-one artifact from the U.S. government in 2021.",
  "key_points": [
    "Method Man, Wu-Tang Clan member, hears 'Once Upon a Time in Shaolin' for first time.",
    "Album's nostalgic moments, but deemed not groundbreaking masterpiece.",
    "Method Man listened without bias, despite album's controversial past."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Rolling Stone",
        "title": "Method Man Hears Wu-Tang Clan’s One-Copy-Only Album for First Time: ‘I Don’t Hate It’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/method-man-hears-wu-tang-clans-one-copy-only-album-for-first-time-i",
        "published": "2026-10-16T17:04:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Consequence",
        "title": "Method Man Reacts to Once Upon a Time in Shaolin for First Time: “I Don’t Hate It”",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/method-man-reacts-to-once-upon-a-time-in-shaolin-for-first-time-i",
        "published": "2026-10-16T17:58:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Verge",
        "title": "We can finally hear some of Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon A Time in Shaolin album",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/we-can-finally-hear-some-of-wu-tang-clans-once-upon-a-time-in-shaolin",
        "published": "2026-10-16T20:50:27.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}