Oliver “Energy” Grant, the enterprise mastermind behind the Wu-Tang Clan, has died on the age of 52.
Information of Grant’s passing was made public on Tuesday (February 24), though a reason behind demise is at the moment unknown.
Tributes have poured in from varied Wu-Tang members in addition to the broader hip-hop group, with Methodology Man sharing a photograph of him and Energy 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 Males‘s “It’s So Arduous to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” and accompanied by the caption “5” — a nod to the 5-% Nation’s Supreme arithmetic which impressed Energy’s nickname.
“POWER we been all over the place …. now you all over the place ! [crying face emoji] [prayer emoji] essentially the most excessive is merciful love you,” Raekwon added.
A childhood pal 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 traditional releases like “Defend Ya Neck” and “Methodology Man.”
Grant’s largest and most well-known contribution to the group’s success was creating Wu Put on, which was not solely one in every of 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 style, multimedia and possession, Energy laid the blueprint for numerous others to comply with and helped redefine the enterprise of hip-hop.
“Wu Put on was just about like our entry within the style biz, however earlier than I used to be in Wu Put on, I used to be making and advertising the primary Wu data with RZA,” he instructed Ardour of the Weiss in 2011. “All the pieces that we discovered was exhausting knock life. You work it out as you go alongside and take cues from these which might be actively doing issues.”
He added: “A variety of it was trial and error. There have been no fashions.”
Underscoring his impression on hip-hop and tradition at giant, Cam’ron paid tribute to Oliver Grant by writing on Instagram: “Rattling man!! [crying emojis] [prayer emojis] thanks for the whole lot legend @wutangbrand.”
Alongside a photograph of the 2 of them collectively, DJ Premier eulogized: “You licensed a worldwide motion. A PIONEER for The Tradition… WU-TANG IS FOREVER… I had some enjoyable occasions touring with you and our mutual connections stored us in contact.
“Could the universe welcome you with open arms. Thanks to your iconic contributions. Condolences to the complete WU household. Relaxation Straightforward Oliver ‘POWER’ Grant. Love You Brother.”
Music government Steve Rifkind, who signed the Wu-Tang Clan to Loud Information within the early ’90s, mentioned in his personal tribute put up: “Energy I can’t consider this. We met in Could 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 way in which you all the time regarded out for all of us while you have been right here. My condolences to you and your loved ones and the WuTang Household simply bear in mind we made Historical past. Going to overlook you want loopy relaxation in peace. #wutangforever.”
HipHopDX sends its condolences to Oliver “Energy” Grant’s household, buddies and followers.
