Oliver ‘Power’ Grant, Wu-Tang Clan’s fashion mogul, dead at 52

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Oliver Grant, known as “Power” and a longtime associate of the Wu-Tang Clan, has passed away at age 52. He was the person who managed Wu Wear, the group’s very successful clothing brand.

News of Grant’s passing spread through social media, with several Wu-Tang Clan members, including Method Man, sharing tributes. Method Man posted a message – “Paradise my Brother safe Travels!!” – alongside a photo of the two of them.

GZA shared that they wouldn’t have achieved success without Power, stating that the Wu-Tang Clan wouldn’t exist as it does today without him. He expressed deep sadness at Power’s passing, calling it a significant loss for everyone involved.

The group didn’t share how he died. The news was initially reported by Okayplayer and Hot 97.

Grant, who grew up with RZA’s brother, played a key role in helping the Wu-Tang Clan become successful. While he wasn’t a rapper or performer in the group, he secured funding for their first recordings and managed their complex finances and record contracts. This was a significant accomplishment considering the many different group and solo projects Wu-Tang had going on.

Back in 2011, he explained to Passion of the Weiss that when one member secured a record deal worth around $150,000, they were able to keep most of the money, but it also benefited everyone else in the group. Sharing the wealth was central to their philosophy – they wanted to support each other financially, even without having specific projects underway. He described it as feeling like they had inherited wealth.

He paved the way for artists to have more independence and creative freedom as hip-hop exploded in popularity during the 1990s.

Looking back, everything felt like a crash course in trial and error. We really learned by doing, picking up lessons from the artists who were already out there making things happen. I didn’t come from a rap background myself, but being around that energy, seeing where they were going with things – that was hugely inspiring. It ultimately led us back to the studio, armed with everything we’d experienced and ready to create ‘Protect Ya Neck.’ It was about taking what we’d absorbed and finally putting our own spin on it.

I remember when Wu-Tang Clan launched Wu Wear – it was huge! The clothing line made so much money, tens of millions actually, and it really defined the look of hip-hop in the ’90s. It’s cool to see how it’s come back around, first as Wu-Tang Brand and then relaunched as Wu Wear again in 2017. Beyond the music, he even acted alongside Method Man in films like ‘Belly’ and ‘Black and White,’ and he was always behind the scenes, executive producing all of their albums.

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2026-02-25 22:31