Wu-Tang Clan and Nike piqued the interest of sneakerheads with a simple social media post that seemed to indicate that the fan favorite was about to return.
The two athletic companies shared a joint post on the seminal rap band’s official Instagram page on Sunday (June 30), which saw only a swarm of bees gathering around a high-top shoe. Although the Nike plaid is partially covered in insects, Wu’s signature black and yellow are clearly visible.
According to Footwear News, the post previews the return of the “Wu-Tang” Nike High Dunks, which originally hit stores in 1999. Redesigned with Wu’s logo added on the tongue and heel.
Only 100 pairs of the initial release were released to the public. However, the collaboration has become such a legendary moment that fans even coined the phrase “Wu-Tang” Nike High Dunks with only 36 produced as an ode to the classic debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).
In other news, Australian fans may soon have the chance to finally hear Wu-Tang’s infamous single album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin .
The album is often referred to as “the rarest album in the world”, but its single copy was suppressed in 2015 and its digital master permanently deleted to highlight the impact of streaming and piracy in the age of weightless music . Soon after, a bidding war ensued for LP, with notorious “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli buying it for $2 million.
Two years later, he was convicted of securities fraud and ordered by a federal court to turn over his records. In 2021, PleasrDAO purchased the exquisite silver box packaging from the U.S. Department of Justice for $4 million to pay off the businessman’s debts.
In keeping with its commitment to making music more accessible to the world, the irreplaceable token collector is now loaning it to the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart, Tasmania for an exhibition titled Namedropping .
The tracklist, which reportedly features all surviving Wu-Tang Clan members as well as Cher, will be played for free at the venue from June 15th to 24th. Ticket holders will be able to watch a 30-minute edited version of the album, which will be played on a custom-made Playstation by rap veterans at Frying Pan Studios.
“Every once in a while, an object on this planet acquires mysterious properties that transcend its physical environment,” Jarrod Rawlins, MONA’s director of curatorial affairs, said of the upcoming event . “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin is more than just an album, so when I was thinking about status and a transcendent name, I knew I had to include it in this exhibition.”
