- Title: 50 Cent says new 'Power' TV show about 'Raising Kanan' is best yet
- Date: 15th July 2021
- Summary: VARIOUS FILMING LOCATIONS (JULY 8, 2021) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, 50 CENT, ON HOW IT FELT REVISITING THE 1990S FOR THIS NEW SERIES AND PRODUCING THE MUSIC FOR IT, SAYING: "The real excitement for me in 'Raising Kanan' was to get back to the 90s. To get into that time period and the change of it. Like if someone was to anchor the music that matches the tones of the actual show they're from the 90s era; the fashion, the clothes, the hairstyles, the energy, the whole project, it just takes me to a different place because of where I was, like at that time in my life." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, 50 CENT, ON HOW IT FELT REVISITING THE 1990S FOR THIS NEW SERIES AND PRODUCING THE MUSIC FOR IT, SAYING: "I had to use R&B (Rhythm and Blues) music to make a song that matched the time period because R&B was that much more relevant in that time period. This is back when R&B required buttons (gestures to chest row of buttons on a suit jacket). You had to have like there was love music, you know..." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, MEKAI CURTIS, SAYING: "Like Singing in the Rain type?" (laughs) (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, 50 CENT, SAYING: "Yup. The thing that they really connected was an aspiration, the aspiration part, like Keni Burke's 'Risin' To The Top': 'Let's keep rising to the top. And don't let nobody stop us' - that was the theme of the environment because it was like a hustler's theme for someone who's going to make something positive happen for their situation, for themselves. And whether it was through finding yourself into a good situation or working your way into that slot that was better than where you were, or it was just being so connected to the community that you was able to get the money out of the community on, in the drug trade. One or the other, that was the theme, the number one thing was to prosperity, to move in a positive direction. And for me, I had to sample the music to kind of create that energy for the theme song."
- Embargoed: 29th July 2021 11:39
- Keywords: 50 Cent Mekai Curtis Power Book III: Raising Kanan Power character television series
- Location: VARIOUS FILMING LOCATIONS
- City: VARIOUS FILMING LOCATIONS
- Country: USA
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Television,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA006ELYB6ML
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: FOR INTERVIEW WITH OTHER CAST MEMBERS, PATINA MILLER AND OMAR EPPS, PLEASE SEE EDIT 4108-TELEVISION-POWER BOOK III/CAST
The next installment in the "Power" franchise hits television screens this week, with a coming-of-age prequel story for character Kanan Stark.
Set in 1990s Queens, New York, "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" sees Mekai Curtis play a younger version of rapper 50 Cent's character from the original crime drama.
50 Cent returns as executive producer and performs the theme song "Part of the Game".
Reuters spoke to the rapper, Curtis and Patina Miller, who plays Kanan's mother Raq, about the series, which premieres on July 18 on StarzPlay.
Below are excerpts edited for length and clarity.
Q: Are there elements of your own experiences growing up this?
50 Cent: "This project is more than a TV show for me ... it's a little piece of me in each part of the show ... At the beginning where you see Kanan getting pushed around, that really happened ... and ... I was more afraid of my mom than those kids in the park."
Q: How did it feel revisiting the 90s?
50 Cent: "The real excitement for me in 'Raising Kanan' was to get back to the 90s ... Like if someone was to anchor the music that matches the tones of the actual show they're from the 90s era; the fashion, the clothes, the hairstyles, the energy, the whole project, it just takes me to a different place because of where I was, like at that time in my life."
Q: Did you feel pressure in taking on such a big role?
Curtis: "This is such an iconic character with such big shoes to fill ... so there was definitely ... one ... the pressure then two, the honour and the feel-good of like, oh wow, they've entrusted me to take this baton and run with it."
Q: The series is very layered and more about family values - the crime and violence are just part of what goes on.
Miller: "It's no different from 'The Sopranos', it's no different from 'Scarface', it's no different from 'Goodfellas' ... it's within the 'Power' world and with people of colour. "
Q: Raq is certainly not one-dimensional.
Miller: "I was about finding the love, the positive that Raq has, like that dream of her wanting to be the best mom ... but then also having to be hard. It's the flip flop of those emotions."
(Production: Lisa Giles-Keddie, Marie-Louise Gumuchian) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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