Oliver “Power” Grant, a close associate and key figure behind the success of the Wu-Tang Clan, has died at the age of 52.
A representative for the legendary hip-hop collective confirmed the news on Instagram on Wednesday, sharing a clip of a past interview with Grant alongside the caption: “Rest in Power, Power.” No cause of death was disclosed.
Tributes quickly poured in from members of the group. Method Man, born Clifford Smith Jr., shared a throwback photo and wrote, “Paradise my Brother safe Travels!!” adding, “Bruh I am not ok.”
Raekwon, whose real name is Corey Woods, posted a heartfelt message honouring Grant’s legacy, while GZA (Gary Grice) described his passing as a profound loss, stating that the group would not have come to fruition without him.
Born in Jamaica and raised in Staten Island, Grant played an instrumental role in the formation of Wu-Tang Clan in the early 1990s and served as an executive producer on several of the group’s projects.
Beyond music, he was widely recognised as the driving force behind Wu Wear, the group’s clothing brand, which achieved major commercial success and was stocked in leading department stores. In a 2011 interview with Complex, Grant credited himself with spearheading the brand’s direction and vision, describing it as a project built to represent the group’s identity to the world.
Grant also ventured into film and gaming. He appeared as Knowledge in the 1998 crime drama Belly and as Rich Bower in the 1999 film Black and White. Additionally, he developed and produced the 1999 video game Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style.
His death marks the loss of a pivotal behind-the-scenes architect of one of hip-hop’s most influential groups.