Okay. Many years ago (~10), a Wu-Tang superfan named Cilvaringz [1] , from Morocco, connected with RZA at a show in Amsterdam. Through this RZA was impressed with this guys spirituality and business sense, that he made him extended 'wu-fam', whatever that means, and made Cilvaringz website, Wu-Tang Corp, the official Wu-tang site / forum, and also help in hooking them up with international connections. Cilvaringz considered himself a rapper and producer, and began working on two albums, his solo album and a Wu-Tang album. The solo album came out a long time ago, and has various verses from some of the members. The other album, he basically worked on over a few years.
Now, Cilvaringz either funded this album himself OR he had a partner to basically pay for verses from various members of the clan. So Cilvaringz channeled his inner 90's RZA with the beats and the feel, and over time(multiple years), paid the members of the clan either outright, or linked up business for them and traded verses. If you have paid attention to many of the gripes from the 7 members besides RZA&GZA, it is almost always over money, and more recently over the direction of the albums. Because RZA was the producer on most of the Wu-albums, he always made more money than the rappers on a track. This is why you don't see many rap super groups because the pie can get split so many ways. The problem is, as Wu-tang has become a smaller and smaller money draw for record labels, the funding got smaller and smaller for albums. So people like Raekwon who typically get paid X amount for a verse, are now being asked by RZA, who owns the brand and always has made more money than anyone else, to do albums for less for the Wu-Legacy. You can argue either side to be honest, but Cilvaringz was able to get all these verses over the years by meeting these guys rates. So although the newest official RZA Wu-tang album only had a few verses from Rae, the Cilvaringz album has 7+. The Cilvaringz produced Wu-Album has all members (even ODB), sketches, extended wu-fam, cher, etc. The album and verses was paid for out of pocket, with RZA's direction and production, being replaced by Cilvaringz.
Now RZA wasn't really following the Cilvaringz development of the album, as it was something he agreed to YEARS ago. I mean, the writing is on the wall, this guy helped Wu-Tang years ago by running an internet forum for them, being a super fan, and hooking them up with European connections to increase their international work and help with touring etc etc. As things winded down, and RZA stepped into other ventures besides rap, this guy Cilvaringz is plugging away at the album. When it was finally ready (years ago), he had trouble selling the album to any record labels. This is because nobody knows who Cilvaringz is, and Wu-Tang albums have always been what they are because of RZA's heavy involvement. So at this point, RZA could have thrown his full support behind this guy somehow, but the problem is that RZA has tried and failed for YEARS to do what Cilvaringz successfully did. RZA wants to push the envelope and be an 'artist' and use Obo's and all sorts of weird instruments, which has never gone well with Raekwon and the clan (google it, Rae shit all over 8 Diagrams before it came out). So it would take RZA, who has some history of being a control freak, to step aside and let someone else, who nobody knows of, come in and do a better job than him? He let that shit hang out to dry, while Cilvaringz tried and failed to get a record label to buy this album for its cost. Because the album has been made over many years, the cost to make back what it took to make is way over what rap albums get a budget for in 2015. Especially Wu-tang albums. Especially Cilvaringz Wu-tang Albums.
So. HERE IS WHERE WE ARE NOW. Cilvaringz, not wanting his 'lifes work', the most important thing hes been working on for possibly 10 years, become a footnote on 2dopeboyz, and basically be an album everyone forgets about if they put it out digitally, he decides as a last ditch effort to do the whole museum thing. RZA signed on because A Better Tomorrow (the shitty Wu-tang album RZA was working on) was going to come out, and what better publicity for Wu-Tang than to one day declare their work as 'high art'. So RZA glommed to Cilvaringz idea, but out of necessity it seems because if you look at all the interviews now, you barely see any mention on how the entire album is produced by Cilvaringz. This isn't a RZA album. But while they talk about 88 years, and auction this album off, they realize that AGAIN, its impossible to sell a Cilvaringz produced Wu-tang album for 5 Million.
So now we get some bullshit story about them thinking of the entire idea while climbing mountains and shit. It is all a lie. And i'm not surprised the members (like Method Man) are furious about all of this. They were already paid for their verses. They should be furious as it hurts their image. How is that cool to the fans that there is a Wu-Tang album that everyone reading this forum post will be dead by the time it drops? I'd be surprised if anyone besides RZA and Cilvaringz makes any money off of this. Instead of Cilvaringz finding a way to release this album and maintain his credits and majority role in this albums creation, he is going for a cash grab and downplaying his role in this album. They HAVE to, as the only way this album is auctioned for millions is if RZA was the main player in it.
The bottom line is, by everyone that has heard the Cilvaringz Wu-Tang Album, they say it is the best Wu album since Wu-tang Forever. Because of this behind the scenes shady RZA / Cilvaringz politics, we may never hear the album. They aren't even touring the album first, as a requirement, as they want to just sell this and move on. I find it funny that RZA is tweeting that the 88 years is so that the album is protected from corporations and commercialization. I forgot about all the Lincoln and Toyota commercials I've seen that use Wu-Tang clan songs, so I'm glad RZA is protecting the brand. I find it laughable.