Mekai Curtis is the rising star who plays the young Kanan Stark in the new series Power Book III: Raising Kanan, a prequel to the hit show Power. The role of Kanan was originally played by rapper and producer 50 Cent, who is also behind the new spin-off. But is Mekai Curtis related to 50 Cent in real life? Here’s what we know.
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According to various sources, Mekai Curtis is not related to 50 Cent by blood. He is the son of Paul and Hadassah Curtis, and he has four siblings. He was born in New Jersey on October 14, 2000, and he started acting at a young age. He has appeared in shows like Kirby Buckets, Girl Meets World, and Milo Murphy’s Law.
Mekai Curtis is related to 50 Cent by profession, as he plays the younger version of his character in Power Book III: Raising Kanan. The show is set in South Jamaica, Queens, in 1991, and it follows the teenage years of Kanan Stark, who grows up to become a ruthless drug lord and mentor to Ghost (Omari Hardwick) and Tommy (Joseph Sikora) in Power.
Mekai Curtis said he studied 50 Cent’s performance in Power to capture his mannerisms, cadences, and relationships. He also said he received guidance and advice from 50 Cent, who serves as the producer, narrator, and theme-song performer of the new series.
“The relationship between me and 50 has been great. Ever since the jump, he’s just always been there. He’s always got stories, whether Kanan was doing something that kind of resembled something he was doing when he was younger, or little nuggets,” Mekai Curtis told Entertainment Weekly.
Mekai Curtis is making his own mark as Kanan Stark
Mekai Curtis said he is not trying to imitate 50 Cent, but rather to bring his own interpretation of Kanan Stark to the screen. He said he wants to show the journey of how Kanan loses his innocence and becomes the monster that fans know from Power.
“I’m not trying to be him [50 Cent], I’m trying to be Kanan. I’m trying to bring this character that we all know and love from Power into this world that we’re creating with Raising Kanan,” Mekai Curtis said.
He also said he hopes to inspire other young actors who want to pursue their dreams.
