Key Takeaways
- Oliver “Power” Grant, Wu-Tang Clan co-founder and Wu Wear architect, died at 52.
- Method Man, Cam’ron, DJ Premier, and others shared tributes across social media.
- Grant helped shape Wu-Tang’s early business decisions and led the expansion into fashion through Wu Wear.
Hip Hop is mourning the loss of Wu-Tang Clan’s Oliver “Power” Grant. As the news spread on Tuesday (Feb. 24), Method Man, Raekwon, Cam’ron, and several others paid tribute on social media.
“Paradise, my brother. Safe travels!!” Method Man wrote under a photo of the two together, alongside heartbreak emojis. “Bruh, I am not OK.” RZA, meanwhile, posted a black square to his Instagram feed with the No. 5 in the caption.
“Our brother, Power. Sending my love, peace, and blessings to the family. Rest in power,” Masta Killa penned in his tribute. In a separate post, Raekwon added, “Power, we been everywhere… Now you [are] everywhere! The most high is merciful. Love you.” So far, the cause of death has not been revealed. In the meantime, scroll through the posts below.
Tributes pour in from across the culture
In addition to Wu-Tang’s core members, several of Power’s longtime peers and friends also took to social media to honor him. DJ Premier called him a “pioneer for the culture.” He wrote, “You certified a worldwide movement… I had some fun times touring with you, and our mutual connections kept us in touch. May the universe welcome you with open arms.”
Steven J. Rifkind, founder of Loud Records and the executive who signed Wu-Tang Clan in the ’90s, also reflected on their bond. “We met in May of 1993 and have been brothers since. The laughs, the cries. We traveled the world together. Strongest handshake and hug anybody can give,” his post read. “I’m at [a] loss of words. Keep on looking over us the way you always looked out for all of us when you were here.”
Cam’ron shared a photo of himself and Power together with the caption, “Damn, man!! Thank you for everything, legend.” Continue scrolling for more tributes.
The lasting impact of Oliver “Power” Grant
Power played a major role in Wu-Tang Clan’s early days, and in many ways, his fingerprints are all over what the collective became. The visionary and entrepreneur spearheaded Wu Wear, which he once described as their “entry in the fashion biz” during a 2011 interview with Passion of the Weiss.
“Before I was in Wu Wear, I was making and marketing the first Wu records with RZA,” Power told the publication. “Everything that we learned was [a] hard-knock life. You figure it out as you go along and take cues from those that are actively doing things.” Others may remember him from his role as Knowledge in the 1998 film Belly, alongside fellow Wu-Tang members Method Man and Ghostface Killah.
Power’s legacy isn’t something to gloss over, and it definitely won’t be forgotten. REVOLT sends its deepest condolences to his close friends and loved ones.