The music world is in mourning. On Thursday, the Staten Island–based hip‑hop collective Wu‑Tang Clan announced that one of its founding members, Oliver “Power” Grant, has died at 52.
The sad news was shared by Wu‑Tang Clan on social media on Tuesday, February 24. Oliver “Power” Grant, a founding member of the Staten Island hip‑hop collective, was 52.
According to Hot 97, Grant died on Monday, February 23. His cause of death has not been disclosed. After his passing, several Wu‑Tang members paid tribute.
“Paradise my Brother safe Travels!!” Grammy‑winning rapper Method Man, also a founding member, posted on Instagram.
Wu‑Tang legend GZA shared a photo of them together, writing, “We couldn’t have done it without him. Wu wouldn’t have come to fruition without Power. His passing is a profound loss to us all. My deepest condolences to the fam.”
Wu‑Tang Clan founding member Oliver Grant dead at 52
Born November 3, 1973, in Jamaica, Oliver Grant grew up in the Park Hill Projects in Staten Island. Childhood friends from that neighborhood would later form Wu‑Tang Clan.
Although Grant wasn’t a performer in the group, he played a crucial role in their success. He helped shape the vision of the nine founding members and guided the collective as it grew into a household name.
Their influence extended beyond music into fashion and culture. In a clip the group once shared, Oliver “Power” Grant said there were two things that drive people to succeed: inspiration or desperation. “Everybody was hustling. Our main money maker was the music, then the touring, then the brand,” he said. Beyond Wu‑Tang’s musical success, Grant became a successful businessman, founding Wu Wear, a streetwear brand, in 1995 that grew to stores in major cities including Los Angeles and Atlanta.
Successful businessman
Macy’s later carried the brand, bringing it to a nationwide audience. In a 2001 interview with Passion of the Weiss, Grant reflected on the journey.
“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. There were no models,” he said, per Billboard.
The news of Grant’s passing comes at a notable moment for the group: on Wednesday, Wu‑Tang Clan earned its first Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination for the Class of 2026. If inducted, they would join hip‑hop legends such as The Notorious B.I.G. and Outkast.
Rest in peace, Oliver “Power” Grant. Our thoughts are with his loved ones.
