Wu-Tang Co-Founder Power Grant Dies
Wu-Tang Clan founding member Oliver "Power" Grant died at age 52 following a battle with cancer, just hours after the group received a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination. Grant launched the influential Wu Wear apparel brand and played a key executive role in the group's rise. His death has drawn tributes from across the music industry for his business acumen and foundational impact on hip-hop culture.
Long before rappers were global fashion icons, Oliver "Power" Grant was laying the groundwork. He didn't just put a logo on a t-shirt; he built one of the very first artist-owned clothing brands from the ground up, predating brands like Sean John and Rocawear. This venture was born out of a desire to diversify the group's business, as Grant himself was not a rapper or producer. The Wu Wear line, launched in 1995, started as a mail-order business before its massive success led to it being stocked in major department stores like Macy's and Rich's. At its zenith, the brand operated four retail stores across the United States and reportedly generated $25 million in annual revenue, cementing the Wu-Tang Clan's cultural and commercial dominance. Grant's role as a business architect for the Clan was foundational. A childhood friend of the members from Staten Island's Park Hill projects, he invested his own money early on to help finance their debut single, "Protect Ya Neck." He served as an executive producer on every Wu-Tang Clan album, helping to shape their revolutionary business model that allowed members to sign solo deals with different labels. Beyond fashion and music, Grant expanded the Wu-Tang empire into other media. He was a producer on the 1999 PlayStation fighting video game, *Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style*. He also ventured into acting, appearing in films such as the 1998 crime drama *Belly* alongside DMX and Nas, and 1999's *Black and White*. Following the news of his passing, fellow Wu-Tang members shared their grief, highlighting his essential, behind-the-scenes role. GZA stated, "Wu wouldn't have come to fruition without Power," while a devastated Method Man wrote, "I am not ok."
