EXCLUSIVE: ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’
Culture Editor Bianca Gregg sits down with the new cast of the STARZ show ‘Raising Kanan’ which is set to premiere on July 18th.
The Power Universe continues on July 18th with the premiere of ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan.’ The highly anticipated prequel is set in South Jamaica Queens, in 1991. This family drama revolves around the coming of age of Kanan Stark, the 15-year-old child of Raq Thomas, a cocaine distributor with an emerging network of dealers across NYC.
WATCH THE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BELOW:
Much like the original “Power,” “Raising Kanan” explores themes of identity, violence, and legacy — but it also takes a deep dive into the pathology of family; the unique, complicated and fraught dynamic between parent and child, mother and father, brother and sister.
The theme of this first season is, “You reap what you sow.” Every character in “Raising Kanan” is hiding something. As the plot develops, each character will have to grapple with the unintended and destructive consequences of the
information they’ve hidden and withheld. Season one will explore these betrayals, secrets, and lies.
The show is narrated by 50 Cent. He is voicing the adult ‘Kanan’ we met in the original ‘Power’ series as we follow the story.
Young Kanan Stark is played by Mekai Curtis. Raquel Thomas, Kanan’s mother, is played by Tony Award winning actress Patina Miller. Other major cast members on the show are Hailey Kilgore who plays ‘Jukebox,’ London Brown who plays ‘Marvin Thomas’ and Malcolm Mays who plays ‘Lou-Lou.’ Joey Bada$$ and Lovie Simone also round out the cast.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Mekai Curtis, Hailey Kilgore, London Brown and Malcolm Mays to discuss their roles in the series as well as how they would bring new layers to the characters we already met in the original ‘Power’ series. We also sat down with executive producer Courtney Kemp to get her take on the upcoming series and her impressive development of Black female characters throughout the ‘Power’ Universe.
‘Power Book: III’ has already been renewed for season two ahead of the premiere on Sunday night.
Here’s the official trailer:
