Is 'Power Book III: Raising Kanan' based on 50 Cent's life in Queens?
Starz spin-off series 'Power Book III: Raising Kanan' is a prequel and focuses on the younger years of Kanan Stark - the bright kid from South Jamaica, Queens in the 1990s. Played by Mekai Curtis, the character is crucial and lends depth to the 'Power' universe. What makes it more interesting is the fact that it borrows from 50 Cent aka Curtis James Jackson III's real life, the one he spent in the borough of Queens in New York City.
Before we tell you more about how similar Kanan and 50 Cent's lives have been, here are a few interesting shows and movies you can bing on the side: 'Project Power', 'The Mule', 'City on a Hill', and 'Narcos: Mexico'.
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In the opening scene, we see a tiny Kanan weeping as he lay in his bed while his mother Raquel 'Raq' Thomas (Patina Miller) looks on in complete disbelief. As he begins to narrate the story behind his bleeding nose, Raq fills up an empty sock with heavy objects and tells him that they were going back to the park.
Elaborating on it, 50 Cent told Sky News how he had experienced something similar growing up. "These are real things, like, I really experienced being roughed up in the park before my mom sent me back to the park, and I was just more afraid of her than the kids in the park, so I ended up going back to fight them instead of dealing with my mom."
He continued how that particular incident was the start of a change in his life: "It kind of changes your perspective." The rapper's attitude had then become: "I'll just handle it before she finds out that I'm scared or afraid of the other person, so it kind of changed a part of my character in the very early stages."
How similar is 50 Cent and young Kanan's life? We'll find out when the series plays out.
The official synopsis reads: "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."
Catch all the new episodes of 'Power Book III: Raising Kanan' on Starz every Sunday at 8/7c. For more information, check your local listings. If you don't have access to cable TV, subscribing to live TV streaming services will help your case. AT & T TV, Hulu, Sling TV, and YouTube TV are some of your options. If you are not based in the United States, using a VPN will help your case.