Overview
- The Pablo Torre Finds Out episode recorded a Brooklyn listening session on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, played two short excerpts from Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, and captured Method Man’s first public reaction.
- Method Man said he “does not hate” the album, praised producer Cilvaringz’s work as RZA‑inspired, and acknowledged the record has moments listeners may love despite his past criticism of the one‑copy plan.
- Once Upon a Time in Shaolin was made as a single physical artwork between about 2007 and 2013, sold to Martin Shkreli for $2 million in 2015, seized by the U.S. government after his conviction, and bought by PleasrDAO in 2021 for a reported $4 million.
- The original sale contract bars commercial distribution for 88 years and the creators say masters were deleted, so PleasrDAO has limited public access to curated exhibits and listening events while full release remains legally blocked.
- The release of the podcast snippets and the Netflix film The Disciple have renewed public debate over whether music can be treated as a unique art object, what stewardship should look like, and whether legal or market pressure could change access over time.