Yeah, you read that headline correctly. Now that you’ve recovered from the initial shock (that’s a lie, I don’t think anyone was a. prepared or will b. ever recover), here are the details in all their glory.
Two musical creators in the United States have decided that the world needs a musical based on everyone’s least favourite person, Martin Shkreli – aka, Pharma Boy. Yep, an IndieGoGo campaign has launched, seeking funding for the music to be titled Martin Shkreli’s Game: How Bill Murray Joined the Wu-Tang Clan.
Billed as a music caper comedy, the musical was created by Lauren Gundrum and Joel Esher who are hoping they’ll have debut at New York’s Midtown International Theatre Festival this summer. The premise of the musical is based in part, around an entirely untrue but entertaining rumour that Wu-Tang were able to steal back their one off Once Upon A Time in Shaolin album with the aide of one Bill Murray.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-clgk4CvOc
The show is actually already going ahead at the festival, but the campaign aims to fund the expenses of the show which include paying the actors, getting props, etc. If you feel so inclined, they’re actually still holding auditions for the roles of Murray, ZA, GZA, Ghostface Killah and Ol’ Dirty Bastard (who is apparently still alive in this interpretation of events?) and if you’re really feeling like getting your hands dirty and playing the villain of the piece, they’re still looking to cast Skhreli, too. Oh, and just in case in the wake of all this, you’ve forgotten about the Wu-Tang x Murray connection and are having a bit of a “wtf” moment here’s a reminder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6EZkIaJcCI
Image: Fact Mag
Surprise surprise, Martin Shkreli just won’t quit.
You know there’s something wrong with a dude when they brag about getting their very own pen at a federal court hearing, like it makes them “the king.” Not to mention leading a pharmaceutical debacle that brought him to said holding pen, involving inflating the prices of much needed medical treatments for cancer and AIDS – past the point of what even the most sociopathic greed magnate would consider decent.
And that is just the beginning of the litany of failings that brought “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli to the world’s attention. Few people in the history of the world have managed to attain such a status of universal disgust; even Donald Trump is down on Shkreli, labelling him a “spoiled brat” and a “disgrace,” though that might just be because Shkreli is a very real threat to Trump’s current position of most awful man in America.
Image via metro.co.uk
Not content with wreaking havoc amongst the pharmaceutical industry, Shkreli has also graced the world of music with his unfortunate presence. Observing his antics over the last few months is something like watching the rise of a cartoon supervillain. And in a particularly dastardly act, Shkreli was smirkingly revealed to be the mystery “private American collector” who won the recent auction to purchase Wu-Tang Clan’s single copy of Once Upon A Time In Shaolin.
Unsurprisingly, Wu-Tang’s Ghostface Killah wasn’t too pleased about this. Calling Shkreli a “shithead” and engaging in heated exchange of insults via twitter and trash talk videos. Now, Shkreli has comeback with his own recording, sneering at Ghostface from the comfort of what looks like his own bedroom, and backed by three masked goons. Obtained by TMZ, it makes for entertaining and slightly scary watching.
Ghost mad that Shaolin outsold his last 5 albums… dude’s a non-profit rapper. Calls himself ironman, but sounds rusty AF @GhostfaceKillah
— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) January 22, 2016
In a tirade that should really land him in the psychiatrist’s office, a pale, suit clad Shkreli throws, what I’m sure he imagines to be, slick and suave insults. Barely making the camera frame, he asserts that “most people don’t try to beef with me.” The federal court case against him, plus the string of complaints and law suits behind that, must have slipped his mind. Though sticking to formalities for once by calling Ghostface by his “government name,” Dennis, Shkreli really lays it on thick.
Cradling a glass of wine in a similar pose to his favourite pseudo-elitist wrestler Damien Sandow, he expresses his pity for Ghostface. Calling him an “old man” who is “trying to reclaim the spotlight from [his] spotlight.” It doesn’t quite explain why Shkreli felt the need to drop $2 million on the much sought after Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, but I’m sure there’s logic to his reasoning.
Adding insult to injury, Shkreli winds up by demanding a written apology from Ghostface; 500 words and no grammatical errors. Oh, and with some genuine contrition please. As if we ain’t had quite enough of Shkreli’s deluded attention seeking, the impression of the school loser having his revenge upon the world from this skinny is so palpable from the League Of Legends player. In a desperate bid to be cool, this final pathetic request just proves that some people really never get over high school.
Watch the video below.
Everyone’s favourite shit-bag pharmaceutical CEO Martin Shkreli is embroiled in yet more legal trouble, this time relating to his $2 million purchase of the one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album, Once Upon A Time In Shaolin.
Notoriously dubbed the ”most hated man in America”, Shkreli is the man responsible for hiking up the price of Aids/HIV medication Daraprim by a ridiculous 5000%. A man so deplorable Donald Trump deemed him ”disgusting”, and Howl & Echoes even paid homage by naming an Anti-Award after him for being, well, the worst fucking guy in the world.
Last week Shkreli was arrested for security fraud, with the FBI alleging that he ”defrauded investors in his hedge fund to hide poor investment choices.” The security fraud charges add up to $65 million worth of misappropriated funds. Now according to TMZ, Shkreli could have his assets seized if it is proven in court that they were purchased with said money. If found guilty and if seized, he will only be able to say that he owned Once Upon A Time, once upon a time.
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 17: Martin Shkreli (C), CEO of Turing Pharmaceutical, is brought out of 26 Federal Plaza by law enforcement officials after being arrested for securities fraud on December 17, 2015 in New York City. Shkreli gained notoriety earlier this year for raising the price of Daraprim, a medicine used to treat the parasitic condition of toxoplasmosis, from $13.50 to $750 though the arrest that happened early this morning does not involve that price hike. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
At the time of his arrest the FBI tweeted, ‘’no seizure warrant at the arrest of Martin Shkreli today, which means we didn’t seize the Wu-Tang Clan album.” However, the prized asset is now likely to be used against him, with the money used to pay off the restitution judgement in the case.
In the wake of Shkreli’s purchase of the album, Wu-Tang leader RZA publicly condemned him in the press while trying to distance himself from the matter, “The sale of Once Upon a Time in Shaolin was agreed upon in May, well before Martin Shkreli’s business practices came to light. We decided to give a significant portion of the proceeds to charity.” Shkreli shooting back that the rap collective ought to show him some ‘’fucking respect’’.
It is not the first time Shkreli has been embroiled in a spat within the music industry though. Three months ago Collect Records ended their association with him after his despicable act went public.
There’s more reading on Martin Shkreli here.
I’ll be honest: I’m glad it was Martin Shkreli who purchased Wu-Tang Clan‘s one-off album Once Upon A Time In Shaolin. It permits me write about him on Howl & Echoes and for that I am grateful.
Today we have been blessed with the news that Shkreli has been arrested by the FBI on charges of securities fraud. The SEC has also charged him with “defrauding investors in his hedge fund to hide poor investment choices.”
The 32-year-old was arrested at his Manhattan home, having allegedly used stock from biotechnology company Retrophin Inc., to pay off debts from other business ventures.
Since founding Retrophin in 2011, Shkreli had been sued and fired by its board “because of serious concerns about his conduct.” FBI prosecutors are claiming more than US$11 million was lifted from the company, while the SEC have claimed that Shkreli took $120 000 from one fund to spend on clothes, rent and other personal expenses, and in 2013 he stole $900 000 to pay off legal debts. He also promised yet another fund that they had $35million in assets, when truthfully they had less than $7000. Bloomberg have outlined even more of his movements here.
Skhreli shot to immediate infamy this year when he hiked the price of Daraprim, a drug used in HIV and malaria treatment, up by literally 5000%. Donald Trump called him “disgusting”, Bernie Sanders refused to accept donations from him, and he has overall been dubbed the “most hated man in America”.
Genius protestors pouring cat litter onto Shkreli like the piece of shit he is.
Then the news emerged that he had bought Wu-Tang’s album for a cool $2 million. No one seemed particularly happy about it. One of the many voicing their concern was RZA himself, who issued this statement, “The sale of Once Upon a Time in Shaolin was agreed upon in May, well before Martin Skhreli’s [sic] business practices came to light. We decided to give a significant portion of the proceeds to charity.”
Shkreli, not understanding the difference between buying an item and buying the person who created it seemed to feel betrayed by this statement and essentially used the aforementioned interview to make physical threats against RZA as well as reference his Albanian heritage and temper, here’s a taste. “This is starting to get into some weird Albanian shit,” he warned HipHopDX. “There are similarities, very similar. I’m just getting fed up. If he doesn’t think I have the resources to do something, he fucking doesn’t know me. If Ghostface can make people disappear, what the fuck do you think I can do? I’ll fucking snap the CD on fucking TV and not even listen to it if that’s what he fucking wants.”
“To me, what I’m doing right now in the media,” Shkreli said. “Raising prices, all this shit, believe what you want, but it’s interesting. It gets people talking. At the end of the day, that’s what art is.”
He also went on to detail how he plans to bail Bobby Shmurda out of prison in exchange for him recording an album, and a grand series of plans with a clear intention to identify himself as a serious player within hip-hop. He also revealed that he has purchased Tupac’s manuscripts at an auction. “I hope I’m accepted [in the hip-hop community], for sure. Like you said, you need swag to pull off the shit I pulled off. To even have Trump call you a spoiled brat. Donald-fucking-Trump called me a spoiled brat. That takes someone special, I think.”
We’ll keep you updated on his movements.
Once again, fuck you Martin Shkreli.
#Breaking no seizure warrant at the arrest of Martin Shkreli today, which means we didn't seize the Wu-Tang Clan album.
— FBI New York (@NewYorkFBI) December 17, 2015
Pharmaceuticals CEO and altogether terrible person, Martin Shkreli has been in the public eye for some time now. He caused considerable uproar earlier this year after raising the price of a life-saving drug by a whopping 5,000 percent, and in recent times he’s been stirring up commotion in the hip-hop world. Just a few weeks ago, Shkreli was outed as the mysterious buyer who spent an approximate $2 million on the only copy of Wu-Tang Clan‘s Once Upon A Time In Shaolin. Now, the self-proclaimed hip-hop aficionado has stated plans to bail out incarcerated Brooklyn rapper Bobby Shmurda, according to a recent interview with Hip Hop DX.
“We’re actually in discussion to try to bail out Bobby Shmurda. Forget whether you think he’s guilty or not, the guy should not be sitting in jail right now,” He stated during the interview, “He deserves a fair trial. He deserves good lawyers. He doesn’t have good lawyers. His label is hanging him out to dry and so I have a conference call tomorrow morning with them (December 15). I’ll show up with $2 million bail money no fucking problem.”
However, he’s not doing all this for free. If all goes to plan and the money he throws at the case sees Shmurda walk free, Shkreli expects his plan to become lucrative.
“Look, the guy’s going to have to record for me if he comes out. I’ll just come out and say it. If I’m gonna post his bail, pay for his trial, get him a “Not Guilty” verdict… With the right lawyer, it’s just a matter of money. I see opportunity. The guy’s going to be more popular when he’s out. The guy probably didn’t do shit.”
Bobby Shmurda was arrested on gun charges and gang conspiracy in December 2014, with his bail set at $2 million. His next court appearance is in January, and his trial is set to begin in February.
It’s almost certain that we will be hearing more of Martin Shkreli’s exploits in the hip-hop world in the months to come. While there’s no word on whether or not he will be releasing Wu-Tang’s record for all of us to hear, at least we can rejoice in knowing that the group will be coming down under in just over two months. Maybe Shkreli should listen to the words of Wu-Tang before he really pisses someone off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpQmFfdYFzY
Music fans everywhere took a collective sharp breath in, when it was revealed that the human reincarnation of evil, pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli, has a silent investment in Brooklyn-based record label Collect.
For those of you who haven’t yet heard about this capitalist thug, he’s the 32-year-old former hedge fund manager and current CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals who bought the rights to Darapim, a medication used to treat HIV and cancer, and raised the price from $13.50 to $750. No, that’s not a typo. The morally bankrupt decision could affect millions all over the world, preventing those who can’t afford the medication from having a viable chance of long-term survival.
The price gouging has created a media maelstrom, and the collateral damage has spilled over into Collect, whose clientele are eager to distance themselves from the heartless investor.
Speaking to Noisey, Geoff Rickly, the label exec and singer for Thursday and No Devotion, said he had no idea that Skreli had made the decision to raise the price of the medication and is “struggling to find how this is OK.”
“My head is still spinning, and though I want to believe that there is some reason that he would do this that is some remotely positive way, the only thing I can see is that it is totally and completely heartbreaking,” said Rickly.
“I can’t see my future at all in the label. I have to see what the bands want first, and see if there is any meaning or any mission following all of this. More than anything, I want the bands to see that I hold art as the guiding force in my life.”
Philadelphia-based band Nothing have also on board with the exodus, with lead singer Dominic Palermo citing the immorality of the decision informing their decision to try leave.
“Nothing will never be a part of a label that involves Martin,” said Palermo. “I hope we can separate ways without things getting any uglier than it is now.”
Three bands on Collect Records pay roll — Nothing, Wax Idols and Sick Feeling — released statements saying that while they supported Mr. Rickly, they would not continue to work with the label if Mr. Shkreli was involved.
Luckily for Palermo and Rickly, Collect Records have officially severed ties with Martin Shkreli, as explained in the statement released on the 23 September:
Today, Collect Records — with the support and encouragement of all of our artists — have agreed to fully sever our relationship with Martin Shkreli, effective immediately.
When I decided to get into business with Martin, we took him on as a patron. He was completely silent and allowed us to do business as we pleased. His only ask was that we sign bands that we believed could make great art given the right environment and not to focus on a profit, no matter how dire the bottom line.
Never in a million years did any of us expect to wake up to the news of the scandal that he is now involved in. It blindsided and upset us on every level. As such, we know it is impossible for us to continue having any ties with him. For my part, I’ve always strived to make Collect a place that was so liberal, encouraging, and artist-friendly that no one would ever walk away from us willingly, though to do so at any time would be very easy. To that end, I hope that our bands continue to believe in our guidance and passion. Any of them that have had an incurable crisis of confidence will be allowed to leave with nothing but the kind of encouragement that we’ve built our label on.
For all the kind words of encouragement that I’ve received over the past two days, I’m forever grateful.
From all here at Collect Records, thank you.
In an interview with the New York Times, Rickly said he met Shkreli the businessman paid $10,000 for a guitar he had used to write the Thursday album Full Collapse in 2001.
Skreli then offered to be an investor in Rickly’s fledgling label, owning just under a 50 percent stake in the company and investing around $600 000 in the company.
In an interview Skreli stated that he didn’t make a profit from the investment with collect and just wanted to be a patron for musicians he respected.
Speaking of Collect Records’ decision to remove him, Shkreli said “I don’t like it — I want to be involved in all this — but I respect their decision. They can move forward from here. I kickstarted the company. I’m not the kind of guy that takes back a — if they can find a new investor, great, if they go out of business then it is what it is.”
“They can move forward from here. I kickstarted the company. I’m not the kind of guy that takes back a — if they can find a new investor, great, if they go out of business then it is what it is,” he added.
However, Rickly said that losing Shkreli’s financial support may result in the Label’s closure.
“This is going to end the career of the record label, no doubt,” said Rickly.
“If I were a band on the label I would be having a serious crisis of faith right now. The amount of money I have in the bank doesn’t cover my outstanding invoices. It’s devastating.”
It would seem that a conscience does a have a price.