“We are heartbroken over the loss of one of the most genuine, caring, loving souls we have ever had the pleasure of representing,” a representative for Grant told People. “muMs was more than our client, he was our dear friend. We all just lost a phenomenal man.”

The New Yorker started his career as a part of the Nuyorican Poetry Slam Team, which was featured for the documentary, SlamNation, Entertainment Weekly reported. The film crew followed the poets as they competed at the 1996 National Poetry Slam.

Grant, who was also featured on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam series, later joined the LAByrinth Theater Company, where he staged an autobiographical show titled A Sucker Emcee. Featuring hip-hop and poetry slam, the show focused on Grant’s personal upbringing.

“The LAByrinth Theater family is deeply saddened to share the news of the unexpected loss of Craig ‘muMs’ Grant,” the theater company said in a statement. “We’ll forever miss our friend, brother, LAB member, emcee, mentor, poet, actor, spoken-word giant and fire-breathing teddy bear. muMs’ presence, performances, and words inspired a generation. His legacy will live on, from The Bronx and into the beyond. Keep rocking the mic, Schemer!”

As an actor, the star was featured on Spike Lee‘s She’s Gotta Have It, Chapelle‘s Show, The Sopranos, Luke Cage, Nurse Jackie and High Maintenance. During the six seasons of Oz , which ran from 1997 to 2003, Grant played a heroin addict who recited poetry for other inmates while he was imprisoned for armed robbery and attempted murder.

“My brother from OZ, I spent too much time with this man onset. Too many amazing stories,” actor Kirk Acevedo, who played Miguel Alvarez on the show, wrote on Twitter. “An incredible poet. This is heartbreaking. God Bless U my brotha. U will be missed.”

Craig “muMs da Schemer” Grant
has passed away.

My brother from OZ,
I spent too much time with this man onset. Too many amazing stories.

An incredible poet.❤️

This is heartbreaking.

God Bless U my brotha.
U will be missed. #RestInPeace#KidVicious🙏🏼https://t.co/lfQZIx0sZM

— Kirk Acevedo🇺🇸 (@kirkacevedo) March 25, 2021

At the time of his passing, the actor was shooting the Starz series, Hightown, in North Carolina. He was also scheduled to travel to Atlanta to finish filming the BET+ series, All the Queen’s Men. According to the Daily News, the New York native most recently starred in the short, The Whistler. He also played Leon in Scrapper, which is in post-production. 

In a 2020 interview with the Writers Guild Initiative, Grant talked about how he found his passion.

“I remember writing a poem in grade school. I painted as well. I really took to drawing. But I really started to enjoy writing in high school from writing rhymes. I was a rapper,” the poet said, according to his obituary. 

His cause of death is unknown at this time.