Source: Courtesy STARZ / Starz
Raising Kanan is a prequel to the hit series Power which chronicles the early life of the show’s villain, Kanan (Mekai Curtis), but the most fascinating character is Kanan’s mother, Raquel aka Raq (Patrina Miller). With a combination of business savvy, creativity, street smarts and sex appeal, the Queenpin from Queens has mastered the male-dominated industry of drug dealing. She runs her empire with the assistance of her two brothers, Marvin and Lou–and with the guidance of his mother, we watch young Kanan navigate the ugly underworld of street life.
Mama Raq is both a nurturing mother and tyrant. Season one ended with Kanan going to Virginia to “lay low” after he was instructed him to murder the family’s nemesis, Detective Howard (Omar Epps). Unbeknownst to Kanan, the detective is his biological father. Unbeknownst to Raq at the time, daddy detective didn’t die.
And now, season two is back to pick up where we left off. Let’s get into the first episode .
A Miracle
Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan
Not only did Detective Howard recover from his gunshot wounds, he is no longer terminally-ill. After learning about his illness, one of his colleagues donated lifesaving bone marrow that put his leukemia into remission. Detective Howard claims he has no recollection of being shot, but his partner Burke is calling bullshit on his amnesia. She is determined to find the shooter even after Howard tells her to let it go. Burke agrees but continues to snoop. That woman hasn’t never minded her own business and she isn’t about to start now.
Homecoming
Starz
Mama Raq drives to Virginia to retrieve her child. When they arrive back in New York, Raq tells her son that she has to make a stop before heading home. They pull up in front of the projects.
A confused Kanan follows his mother into a building. He grows even more perplexed as he watches tenants lower their gazes and step out of their way as they walk through the halls. In true Nino Brown fashion, Raq has turned one floor into the headquarters for her operation. Money is being counted in one apartment; folks are bagging up vials of crack in another. One apartment is reserved for customers where a woman appears to be high as a kite as she rubs her pregnant belly. In exchange for their silence, the Queenpin buys groceries for young mothers and medicine for elders. Raquel Stark is both the hero and the villain of the projects, as she exploits the tenants’ vulnerabilities and enhances their lives at the same time.
Family Business
Source: Starz / Power Book III: Raising Kanan
Raq invites her brothers over for dinner and Kanan is reunited with his bestie/cousin Jukebox. The teens are dismissed so the siblings can discuss business over an old school Entenmann’s pastry. Raq’s rival Unique is incarcerated and she wants to ensure that he has no product to sell and no manpower when he is released. Raq suggests they recruit Worrell, one of Unique’s top men. This is going to get ugly.
Like his nephew, Uncle Lou would rather be slinging records over drugs. Raq obliges her brother’s “hobby” but reminds him where his bread is buttered. Lou juggles the family business while trying to be the next Puff Daddy. His artist Famous is no Biggie Smalls and his latest single was a flop. Lou’s girlfriend Jess is both Famous’ manager and sister. She gets into an argument with her dude when she tries to advocate for her brother/client.
An angry Lou drives away. He is sitting at a red light when he happens to hear a woman singing over one of his beats in the car next to him. How Sway? The voice belongs to Zisa who hits every Spicy Latina stereotype when Lou approaches her. She responds to Lou with a fiery attitude that a Black woman would be vilified for. Lou is not only attracted to the fire, but he signs her to his label immediately.
It appears that he wants to replace Jess and her brother Famous with Zisa. Jess peeps it, but isn’t bothered. Sis is sleeping with Lou’s best friend and business partner. This is messy.
Episode one ends with Raq standing outside, smoking a cigarette when a figure appears from the darkness. It is Detective Howard. While this comes as a surprise to us, Raq seemed to be expecting him. What does this mean? Will Detective Daddy go dirty? Will Kanan find out he shot his own father? We must stay tuned to find out. Season two is gonna be goodT.
Episode two of Raising Kanan will premiere August 22 on the Starz network.
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