The only copy of the Wu Tang Clan's Once Upon a Time in Shaolin album has sold for an undisclosed sum, reportedly in excess of $1m, at Paddle8 Auction.

The album is presented in an ornate silver box and has been kept "in a vault at the luxurious Royal Mansour hotel in Marrakech, Morocco" ever since its completion, the auction house reports.

Wu Tang Clan recorded the album between 2006 and 2013

The idea behind the project was to ensure the record remained valuable by virtue of its exclusivity.

By making it unavailable to the public, the group hoped to sell it on to a wealthy benefactor. It includes an 88 year exclusivity clause, meaning its new owner can't release it to the public until the early 2100s...

RZA, the group's legendary producer, comments: "Once Upon A Time in Shaolin aims to reverse the devaluation of music, to celebrate the album as a work of art that encompasses the creative energies of an ecosystem of artists, and to help return music to a fine-art status…

"From the beginning, we hoped that this concept would inspire debate and new ways of seeing creativity.

"Both of those goals have been achieved, and the ideas continue to evolve."

A portion of the proceeds from the sale will go to various charities.

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