Oliver ‘Power’ Grant dead at 52: Wu-Tang Clan founding member passes away as tributes pour in
Oliver ‘Power’ Grant, the business mastermind behind the Wu-Tang Clan, has died aged 52.
Although the cause of death has not yet been disclosed, news of his death was confirmed on Tuesday.
Tributes immediately began pouring in from Wu-Tang members, including Method Man, RZA and Raekwon, as well as the broader hip-hop community.
Method Man shared a photo of himself with Power on Instagram and wrote: ‘May my brother rest in peace, safe travels!! #pookie #power Bruh I’m not okay.. .’
RZA also expressed his sadness by releasing a black frame with Boyz II Men’s It’s Hard to Say to Yesterday and adding the title ‘5’, a reference to the Supreme Mathematics of the Five Percent Nation, which inspired Grant’s nickname.
Raekwon added: ‘POWER we were everywhere…. You are everywhere now! I love you, the most merciful one.’
Oliver ‘Power’ Grant, the business mastermind behind Wu-Tang Clan, dies aged 52
Tributes immediately began pouring in from Wu-Tang members and the broader hip-hop community, highlighting the profound impact Grant had both on and off stage.
Wu-Tang Clan was formed in 1992 in Staten Island, New York, and quickly became one of hip-hop’s most influential groups.
The original lineup included RZA, GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God and Masta Killa.
A childhood friend of RZA, Grant played a pivotal and often underappreciated role in transforming the Wu-Tang Clan from a scrappy rap crew in Staten Island into a global cultural powerhouse.
Long before hip-hop stars routinely launched clothing lines, Grant saw the potential in combining music with fashion and multimedia.
He was instrumental in founding Wu Wear, one of rap’s first artist-owned streetwear brands, which became an extremely lucrative byproduct of the group’s success and helped define how artists could profit outside of record sales.
While many fans know Wu-Tang for classic tracks like Protect Ya Neck and Method Man – which Grant helped fund and promote alongside RZA and Mitchell ‘Divine’ Diggs – it was his business vision that laid the blueprint for the next generation of artists.
Reflecting on those early days in an interview in 2011 Weiss’ passionHe said: ‘Wu Wear was like our entry into the fashion world, but before I entered Wu Wear, I was producing and marketing the first Wu records with RZA.
‘Everything we learn is about hitting life hard. ‘You figure that out as you go along and take cues from those who are actively doing something.’
Method Man shared a photo of himself with Power on Instagram and wrote: ‘May my brother rest in peace, safe travels!! #pookie #power Bruh I’m not okay.. .’
Raekwon shared: ‘POWER we were everywhere…. You are everywhere now! ‘I love you, the Most High, the Merciful’
A childhood friend of RZA, Grant played a pivotal and often underappreciated role in transforming the Wu-Tang Clan from a scrappy Staten Island rap crew into a global cultural powerhouse; (Wu-Tang Clan, 1993)
‘A lot of this was trial and error,’ he added. ‘There were no patterns.’
Grant’s influence extended far beyond the Klan’s inner circle, and artists across the hip-hop spectrum acknowledged his influence.
Rap veteran Cam’ron paid tribute on Instagram, writing: “Damn man!! [crying emojis] [prayer emojis] Thank you for everything legendary @wutangbrand.’
Meanwhile, acclaimed producer DJ Premier praised her as a ‘global act’ and ‘vanguard of culture’, recalling the fun times on tour and the deep bond they shared.
Steve Rifkind, the music executive who signed Wu‑Tang to Loud Records in the early 1990s, also issued a heartfelt tribute, saying Grant had been like a brother since they met in 1993 and that it was impossible to overstate Power’s influence – both professional and personal.
