A Live Look Into the Past – Raising Kanan: Power is Back

Power Book III: Raising Kanan is back, but in the past. This is the third installment of the Power series and shows no signs of the power going out.

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson character, Kanan Stark, died in the earlier in STARZ hit series. This is a enthralling look in to past to explore the life and how Kanan actually became Kanan as we knew him. I was able to sit down at a roundtable interview via Zoom and speak with Courtney A. Kemp and Mekai Curtis about the new season.

This series is executive produced by Courtney A. Kemp through her company End of Episode and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson through his G-Unit Film and Television, both of whom also executive-produced the hit original series “Power.” Sascha Penn serves as creator, showrunner and executive producer on “Power Book III: Raising Kanan.” Mark Canton through his Atmosphere Entertainment MM, End of Episode’s Chris Selak and Danielle DeJesus, Shana Stein, Bart Wenrich and Kevin Fox are executive producers with Rob Hardy executive producing and directing the premiere episode. Lionsgate TV produces the series for STARZ.

Set in South Jamaica, Queens, in 1991, “Raising Kanan” is a prequel to the original “Power” franchise. It is a sprawling family drama that revolves around the coming of age of Kanan Stark; Ghost and Tommy’s mentor, partner and adversary, who ultimately dies in a hail of gunfire in the eighth episode of Power’s penultimate season.

When we catch up with Kanan here, he is the fifteen-year-old only child of Raquel “Raq” Thomas, a cocaine distributor with an emerging network of dealers across the city. Much like the original “Power,” “Raising Kanan” explores themes of identity, violence, and legacy, but it is also a deep dive into the very pathology of family; the unique, complicated and fraught dynamic between parent and child, mother and father, brother and sister.

In an increasingly fractious world, family often feels like the only refuge from all the divisiveness and discord and yet, at the same time, we often discover that it is those closest to us who betray us and our values most. The first season of “Raising Kanan” is an exploration of these betrayals, the secrets and lies that accompany them and the ways in which they fester, metastasize and ultimately erupt.

The overarching theme of this first season is, “You reap what you sow.” In other words, actions have consequences; betrayals are always uncovered; secrets are inevitably revealed; chickens come home to roost. Every character in “Raising Kanan” is hiding something. From the world, from each other, from themselves. And as our story unfolds, they each will have to grapple with the unintended and destructive consequences of the information they’ve hidden and withheld.

And while the ways in which these betrayals, secrets and lies reveal themselves will vary, one truth will remain constant: In “Raising Kanan,” as in the “Power” Universe, no one can be trusted and nothing is ever as it seems.

With early access I was able to to watch the first two episodes in a sneak peak and I am upset that I couldn’t binge watch the entire season. The show is already past the point where people would think it would start to falter but the critics can just keep on holding on to that notion. The writers and producers do a great job with the nuisances that really bring the life to the show. There won’t be any spoilers from me you’ll have to watch it for yourself on Sundays 8pm ET/PT on STARZ. Check out the trailer.

Tags: 50 Cent, courtney kemp, mekai curtis, Power, raising kanan, STARZ