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 at the age of 52.

The news of his passing was confirmed on Tuesday, though a cause of death has not yet been revealed.

Tributes immediately began pouring in from Wu-Tang members – including Method Man, RZA, and Raekwon – and the wider hip-hop community.

Method Man shared a photo of himself with Power on Instagram, writing: ‘Paradise my Brother safe Travels!! #pookie #power Bruh I am not ok .. .’

RZA also expressed his grief, posting a black square with Boyz II Men’s It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday and adding the caption ‘5’ – a reference to the Five-Percent Nation’s Supreme Mathematics that inspired Grant’s nickname.

Raekwon added: ‘POWER we been everywhere …. now you everywhere ! the most high is merciful love you.’

The Wu-Tang Clan was formed in Staten Island, New York, in 1992, quickly becoming 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 under-appreciated – role in turning the Wu-Tang Clan from a scrappy Staten Island rap crew into a global cultural powerhouse.

Long before hip‑hop stars routinely launched clothing lines, Grant saw the potential in merging music with fashion and multimedia. 

He was instrumental in founding Wu Wear, one of rap’s first artist‑owned streetwear brands, which became a hugely lucrative offshoot 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 – songs Grant helped fund and promote alongside RZA and Mitchell ‘Divine’ Diggs –  it was his business vision that laid the blueprint for generations of artists to come.

Reflecting on those early days in a 2011 interview with Passion of the Weiss, he said: ‘Wu Wear was pretty much like our entry in the fashion biz, but before I was in Wu Wear, I was making and marketing the first Wu records with RZA. 

‘Everything that we learned was hard knock life. You figure it out as you go along and take cues from those that are actively doing things.’

‘A lot of it was trial and error,’ he added. ‘There were no models.’

Grant’s influence stretched well beyond the Clan’s inner circle, with artists from across the hip‑hop spectrum acknowledging his impact. 

Rap veteran Cam’ron paid tribute on Instagram, writing: ‘Damn man!! [crying emojis] [prayer emojis] thank you for everything legend @wutangbrand.’ 

Meanwhile, acclaimed producer DJ Premier eulogized him as a ‘worldwide movement’ and a ‘pioneer for the culture,’ recalling fun times on tour and the deep bond they shared.

Music executive Steve Rifkind, who signed Wu‑Tang to Loud Records in the early 1990s, also posted a heartfelt tribute, saying he had been like a brother to Grant since they met in 1993 and that Power’s influence – both professionally and personally – was impossible to overstate.