Remembering Power: The Wu-Tang Clan Executive Producer and Entrepreneur
Oliver “Power” Grant, the executive producer behind Wu-Tang Clan's groundbreaking debut and the visionary behind Wu Wear, has passed away at 52. His influence on hip-hop and entrepreneurial spirit will be remembered.
Oliver “Power” Grant, a crucial figure in the Wu-Tang Clan's history, has died at 52. He served as the executive producer of their albums and oversaw their extensive business ventures, including the iconic Wu Wear clothing line. The cause of death is currently unknown.
News of his passing was first confirmed by Okayplayer. The outlet noted, “Power helped build a global legacy rooted in independence, ownership, and culture. His belief in creative control and community empowerment helped shape not only a group, but a dynasty that changed music forever.”
"Rest in Power, Power,” the Wu-Tang Clan posted on their official Instagram account. Method Man also shared his condolences on Instagram alongside a photo with Grant: “Paradise my Brother safe Travels!! Bruh I am not ok.”
Growing up in the Park Hill projects of Staten Island alongside the future members of the Wu-Tang Clan, Grant played a pivotal role in their formation. In 1992, he was instrumental in securing the finances for their debut single, “Protect Ya Neck.”
> "Everything that we learned was hard knock life," said Power, who gathered the money to make the Wu-Tang Clan's debut single and executive produced Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
“I think I came with most of the money,” he told Passion of Weiss in 2011. “I was more the financial guy and Ghost and RZA were the guys that had the musical talent…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.”
Oliver "Power" Grant
In 1993, Grant executive-produced their debut LP Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Soon after, he launched Wu Wear, their hugely successful clothing label. "We were so hot and on fire throughout those first years that phones rung off the hook for anything Wu-related,” he said in 2011. “Wu was so fresh and so new, the money that I was earning from the record business, I was spending actively just trying to get a start in business.”
Under Grant's leadership, Wu Wear partnered with Macy’s and established four retail locations nationwide. At its peak, Wu Wear generated $25 million in annual revenue. “The Wu brand and logo was subliminal,” Grant explained. “It’s just like when you see a Pepsi and say let’s have a Pepsi together. The logo and the Wu was like an international communicator. It’s like if you familiar with Gucci or Louis Vuitton, you just identify and go towards it because it’s familiar. You identify to people with that aesthetic.”
In the Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga (2019-2023), Grant was portrayed by Marcus Callender. “The first conversation we ever had, we spoke for like three hours,” Callendar said in 2023. “It was a very surreal moment. He never gave me a pointer and said, ‘Do it like this, do it like that.’ It was never like that. All he told me was stories.”
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