TOW #23: Why Wu-Tang Will Release Just One Copy Of Its Secret Album by Zack O'Malley Greenburg

            There is currently a metal box with intricate etchings all around the box, sitting at the foot of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Inside it will soon be one Wu-Tang Clan album, one that no one has ever heard before. The rap group recently revealed their secret project, called Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, which has been going on for the past decade. In an effort to spark a revival of music appreciation, Wu-Tang members have decided to sell only one copy of this album at a price in the millions.

            The author of “Why Wu-Tang Will Release Just One Copy Of Its Secret Album”, Zack O’Malley Greenburg, reported on this story in Forbes, detailing the events leading up to the completion of this album and Wu-Tang’s future plans for the rare record. As a senior editor at the magazine, Greenburg reports on business of music and entertainment. He has written books such as Michael Jackson, Inc., and writes The Beat Report, a daily segment dedicated to the happenings in music. Greenburg’s background in music and business is evidenced by the multiple comparisons he makes with other similar events, such as Samsung’s purchase of copies of Jay Z’s new album for $5 million. These kinds of references are an important rhetorical strategy in Greenburg’s article, as they help to validate the possibility of this event’s success, and clarify exactly what kind of business venture the Wu-Tang has committed to.

            As this was written in Forbes, a magazine that focuses specifically on the business aspects of the world, Greenburg’s audience will probably appreciate the mention of making money as one of the reason’s for the one-copy decision. Though none of the people involved in the album mentioned anything about money, Greenburg, as a business writer, made an inference and added his own insight into the article. In doing so, he creates an article that functions both as a narrative, which makes for an interesting read, and a business report, which details the facts. Because of the efficiency with which Greenburg told this story, I believe he achieved his purpose.

Article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2014/03/26/why-wu-tang-will-release-just-one-copy-of-its-secret-album/