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Everything You Need to Know Before You Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan

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The latest installment to the Power series — Power Book III: Raising Kanan — is now available on Starz. A prequel to the incredibly successful Power franchise, it revolves around the coming of age of Kanan Stark, a young cocaine distributor who’s cultivating his own network of dealers across New York City. Ruthless and hard-hitting, this is the crime drama to watch right now. If you’re not already a subscriber to Starz, you can sign up for a one-week free trial right now giving you the opportunity to check out why Power is so good, entirely for free.

What’s Power All About?

Power tells the story of James St. Patrick, an intelligent but ruthless drug dealer who goes by the name Ghost. Planning to leave the criminal world to pursue his plans as a nightclub owner, the original show looks at how he tries to balance those two lives as well as his own complex personal life. Part family drama, part crime epic, it’s an engaging story starring Omari Hardwick, Lela Loren, Joseph Sikora, and Naturi Naughton.

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Who Created Power?

Power is created and produced by Courtney A. Kemp, who’s best known for having written for such shows as The Good Wife and Beauty & the Beast. The show has been developed in collaboration with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson who was an executive producer on the show as well as staring as drug dealer, Kanan Stark.

What’s Power Book III: Raising Kanan?

Power Book III: Raising Kanan is a spin-off to Power. A prequel, it’s set in Southside, Jamaica, Queens in the 1990s and chronicles the early years of Kanan Stark as viewers watch how he got into the drug dealing business. Originally played by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson in the earlier Power series, Stark is now played by actor, Mekai Curtis as it looks at his teenage years. It continues to be narrated by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. The show also features a cast including Omar Epps, London Brown, Hailey Kilgore, and many others.

Looking at how Stark rises up through the ranks and becomes less impressionable and innocent than during his youth, it forms a great basis for the character that fans have seen in the earlier Power series.

Besides looking at Stark’s life, Power Book III: Raising Kanan will also show the relationship between Ghost and Tommy, his best friend, and how they grew up together, so it’s an important part of the Power Book story. Right now, you can watch it entirely for free for a week courtesy of a Starz one-week free trial.

What Other Power Book Shows are There?

Power Book II: Ghost continues where the original Power ends, with the plan for Power Book IV: Force and Power Book V: Influence also in the works, looking at different sides of the same world.

Who is Power Book Aimed At?

Honestly, anyone that loves great drama. Due to how it deals with crime from various different angles, it’s a guaranteed hit for fans of shows like The Sopranos and The Wire but it’s also great for fans of family dramas due to how life is interwoven amongst the crime side of things too. Well written and hard-hitting, it’s the kind of drama that sticks in your mind for a long time to come with plenty of great talent highlighting the best acting out there right now.

How Can I Watch Power Book?

Starz is the exclusive home for the entire Power franchise in the U.S. and is the absolute best way to catch up on everything the thrilling show offers. Right now, you can sign up for Starz entirely for free with the Starz one-week free trial. That means a full seven days to catch up on everything the Power series has to offer.

After then, Starz costs just $9 per month so you’ve got plenty of time to catch up on the gripping crime drama that’s hooking the nation. Sign up now so you don’t miss out.

What Else Does Starz Offer?

Starz is the home of some fantastic content including one of the best places to watch cartoons online as well as a great source for the best Halloween movies. Other great content includes American Gods, Blindspotting, Outlander, and much more so there’s no shortage of great Starz Originals & Exclusives. Movies like Jumani: The Next Level and Bad Boys For Life are all available too, and Heels — a brand new original based around the WWE world, starring Stephen Amell.

With unlimited HD streaming and downloads, and the option to stream on up to four devices at once, it’s a great addition to your streaming arsenal.

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Jen Allen
Jen Allen
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jen Allen is a technology and lifestyle writer with over 10 years of experience.
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