After one episode, Raising Kanan is Already Better Than Book I and II
For months, 50 Cent has been ranting and raving on social media about the impending premiere of Power Book III: Raising Kanan, which is an origin story to the character he originally played in the first Power-which featured Omari Hardwick in the lead role.
On last week, the local and international press, fans and industry insiders gathered at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York for the screening, mini-concert and afterparty that heralded the coming of the Power Universe on Starz.
Aesthetically familiar and personally realistic, Raising Kanan takes place in 1991 in South Jamaica, Queens and explores the cultural nuances that would lead an intelligent young Black male to venture down the path of gangsterism and guerilla capitalism. Starring Mekal Curtis in the title role, with supporting roles filled by Patina Thomas, Hailey Kilgore and Omar Epps, as well as many other talented, hardworking actors.
Though it was a foregone conclusion that this newest addition of the film resume of Curtis Jackson would be an overwhelming success, at least initially, the quality of the offering represents an evolution from the soap opera, cliffhanger style of the previous Power series.
“We’ve been through this before,” 50 told a gather of well-wishers and supporters. “It feels like this whole sh*t is a rerun. The success of was huge, but I think this is going to be bigger than Power. I know I always say that. BMF is definitely going to be bigger than Power. Way bigger than that sh*t.”
“Jukebox has this tough exterior but she’s really soft on the inside and I definitely can relate to that because, on the inside, I’m very vulnerable and emotional about stuff,” actress Hailey Kilgore told The Shadow League.
The Shadow League: What was your reaction when you got the call for the potential role of a lifetime?
“I had just wrapped my new feature film “Respect”, which will be in theaters in August, when I got the call and I cried. I cried like a baby. I was having sushi in Buckhead with my team when I got the call, and I was so excited.”
We’re sure that fans of the Power Universe are excited as well after the first episode, which had a 0.14 audience share among viewers 19 to 49, with approximately 440,000 viewers tuning in to watch the premiere.
However, we’d be remise if we didn’t say that these ratings don’t take into account the manner that the modern viewer watches television thanks to on-demand and DVR technology.
But we’ll let you be the judge. Tune into watch Power Book III at 8pm EST, Sundays on Starz.
