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Oliver “Power” Grant, the enterprise mastermind behind the Wu-Tang Clan, has died on the age of 52.
News of Grant’s passing was made public on Tuesday (February 24), though a explanation for loss of life is at present unknown.
Tributes have poured in from numerous Wu-Tang members in addition to the broader hip-hop neighborhood, with Method Man sharing a photograph of him and Power on Instagram together with a heartfelt message.
“Paradise my Brother protected Travels!! [broken heart emojis] [angry face emoji] #pookie #energy Bruh I’m not okay .. [raincloud emoji],” he wrote.
RZA expressed his grief by posting a black sq. soundtracked by Boyz II Men‘s “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” and accompanied by the caption “5” — a nod to the Five-Percent Nation’s Supreme arithmetic which impressed Power’s nickname.
“POWER we been in every single place …. now you in every single place ! [crying face emoji] [prayer emoji] probably the most excessive is merciful love you,” Raekwon added.
A childhood buddy of RZA’s, Oliver Grant helped construct the infrastructure that turned the Wu-Tang Clan into a world cultural phenomenon.
Alongside RZA’s brother Mitchell “Divine” Diggs, Grant closely invested within the Staten Island rap collective throughout their early days, serving to to fund and market basic releases like “Protect Ya Neck” and “Method Man.”
Grant’s largest and most well-known contribution to the group’s success was creating Wu Wear, which was not solely one in all hip-hop’s first artist-owned streetwear manufacturers however grew to become a vastly profitable and influential enterprise.
Understanding the worth of merging music with trend, multimedia and possession, Power laid the blueprint for numerous others to observe and helped redefine the enterprise of hip-hop.
“Wu Wear was just about like our entry within the trend biz, however earlier than I used to be in Wu Wear, I used to be making and advertising and marketing the primary Wu information with RZA,” he advised Passion of the Weiss in 2011. “Everything that we discovered was arduous knock life. You determine it out as you go alongside and take cues from these which can be actively doing issues.”
He added: “A number of it was trial and error. There had been no fashions.”
Underscoring his impression on hip-hop and tradition at massive, Cam’ron paid tribute to Oliver Grant by writing on Instagram: “Damn man!! [crying emojis] [prayer emojis] thanks for every little thing legend @wutangbrand.”
Alongside a photograph of the 2 of them collectively, DJ Premier eulogized: “You licensed a worldwide motion. A PIONEER for The Culture… WU-TANG IS FOREVER… I had some enjoyable instances touring with you and our mutual connections stored us in contact.
“May the universe welcome you with open arms. Thank you to your iconic contributions. Condolences to your entire WU household. Rest Easy Oliver ‘POWER’ Grant. Love You Brother.”
Music government Steve Rifkind, who signed the Wu-Tang Clan to Loud Records within the early ’90s, mentioned in his personal tribute submit: “Power I can’t consider this. We met in May of 1993 and have been brothers since. The laughs the cries we traveled the world collectively. Strongest Handshake and Hug anyone can provide.
“I’m at lack of phrases carry on trying over us the best way you at all times regarded out for all of us whenever you had been right here. My condolences to you and your loved ones and the WuTang Family simply bear in mind we made History. Going to overlook you want loopy relaxation in peace. #wutangforever.”
HipHopDX sends its condolences to Oliver “Power” Grant’s household, buddies and followers.
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