Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Following the huge success of Power they decided to start their own universe (kind of like the MCU or DCEU). There are now 3 spin-offs of Power...Book II: Ghost, Book III: Raising Kanon and Book IV: Force. This is Book III: Raising Kanon about 50 Cents character Kanon and shows how he grew up in the early 90's and became the man he is in Power. I was worried about the Power Universe when they first announced it thinking it might be too much but I was wrong. Every spin-off is good in its own right and can stand on its own even if you didn't see the original Power. Much like Book II: Ghost with Tariq, you don't have to be a fan of Kanon to enjoy the show. These spin-offs are doing just as well as the original so I don't see them going anywhere anytime soon so I'm looking forward to more seasons in the future of each of them. If you're a fan of the original Power or a fan of gangster shows then give this a try.

Power Book III: Rasing Kanan is the third of show in the Power Universe. This one is about a young Kanan Stark (50 Cents character from the original) and how he joins his family's growing and dangerous drig business. It takes place in Queens, New York during the 1990's. It quickly builds its world and expands the Power Universe but definitely stands on its own. The do a great job bringing you into their world, especially with all the attention to detail of how the 90's were. Even if you weren't a fan of the Kanan character in the original, you'll still enjoy this. You don't even have to watch the original to like this but if you are already a fan of the Power Universe I promise you won't be disappointed here.

This series is phenomenal, not merely because of the cast & writing, but because it's apart of a cohort of tv series birthed from the masterpiece that is "Power." Kanan was undoubtedly one of Power's most dynamic characters. To see his story play out is to watch him become the man who would later successfully infiltrate his mentees' (Ghost & Tommy) drug organization & who would plant the seed of disdain in Ghost's son that would one day lead to Tariq committing patricide.

Makhi (young Kanan) embodies the character, even down to 50's slurred speech. Patina Miller is perfect as Raq. Hailey Kilgore's acting performance is as bold & remarkable as her singing voice. She truly honors her reprisal of Jukebox, the character originally played by Broadway titan, Anika Noni Rose. London Brown's comedic timing is perfect & he proves himself quite the dramatic actor in scenes alongside Kilgore & Miller. Malcolm Mays as "Lou" is incredible. His character has a similar temperament to that of Ghost, a calculated & capably ruthless killer but not without cause.

On balance, this show is a masterpiece & has the potential to surpass the original Power series. 10/10.

I'm glad I waited until episode 7 to review because I would have agreed with the current rating of 7. I knew it had potential to be more and it finally delivered with this past episode. We see the consequences of this business and Kanan's ambition, both in the community and personally. I was on the edge of my seat even though I knew what was about to happen. I'm left with a pit in my stomach and 50's speech at the end was perfect for the situation... and in reality. Solid 8 now and hope it goes up.

It started off slowly, however as the season goes on the pace picks up. I know Kanan being an intelligent nice kid is throwing folks off, but I like how it is progressing. You slowly but surely see the transformation into who he will eventually become. Hang in there, it only gets better.