It was announced today that Oliver “Power” Grant died February 23rd in New York. He was 52 years old. A cause of death for the star has yet to be revealed.
Grant wasn’t a rapper. He never held a mic on stage, but Wu-Tang Clan wouldn’t exist as we know it without him.
He grew up in the Park Hill projects of Staten Island alongside the future members of the Clan, was childhood friends with RZA’s older brother Divine, and got into the band early, financially, when nobody outside of Staten Island knew what Wu-Tang was going to become.
Over a game of chess, founding members gave him the name “Power,” because that’s the amount of force it takes to do work. The name stuck because it fit Oliver’s personality.
He executive produced every Wu-Tang Clan album. You can even check the liner notes on Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). His name is there. It’s there on everything that followed.
In 1995 he launched Wu Wear, widely regarded as one of the first artist-driven clothing lines in hip-hop history.
He started by selling gear with the group’s logo through mail order when manufacturers wouldn’t extend him credit.
Then Wu-Tang went platinum. He opened a store on Victory Boulevard in Staten Island, then an office in Manhattan’s garment district. Eventually Wu Wear was carried in Macy’s, had four retail locations across the country, and was generating $25 million a year at its peak.
In 2008 he renamed it Wu-Tang Brand after counterfeiting became a problem, and relaunched the original Wu Wear line with RZA and Live Nation Merchandise in 2017.
Grant’s Overlooked Acting Career
He also acted. He appeared alongside Method Man in Hype Williams’ 1998 cult film Belly, and in James Toback’s 1999 film Black and White alongside Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Mike Tyson, Brooke Shields, and Elijah Wood.
In 1999 he produced Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style, a four-player 3D fighting game for PlayStation. In the Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga, which ran from 2019 to 2023, he was portrayed by Marcus Callender.
Method Man confirmed his death on Instagram the following day. “Paradise my Brother safe Travels. Bruh I am not ok.” Raekwon wrote:
“POWER we been everywhere. Now you everywhere! The most high is merciful. I love you.” GZA said it plainly: “We couldn’t have done it without him. Wu couldn’t have come to fruition without Power.”
His death comes as Wu-Tang Clan is currently nominated for the 2026 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, Oasis, Iron Maiden, Sade, and others.
He was 52.
