STARZ has officially announced the commencement of production for season three of its action-packed drama series Power Book IV: Force in Chicago. The series stars Joseph Sikora, reprising his role as “Tommy Egan,” a character beloved by fans for his distinctive humor and captivating presence.
Set and filmed in Chicago, the series thrives in the city’s vibrant atmosphere, providing an authentic backdrop for its gritty, action-packed narrative. The ensemble cast reflects the diversity and cultural richness of the Windy City, adding depth to the storyline.
Meanwhile, season four of Power Book III: Raising Kanan production is underway in New York following the recent conclusion of its suspenseful third season.
Power Book IV: Force follows Tommy Egan as he navigates the ruthless drug game in Chicago, seeking to establish himself as the city’s sole distributor. As alliances shift and rivalries intensify, Tommy must confront difficult choices to claim his place as a kingpin.
Viewers can catch up on seasons one and two of Power Book IV: Force on the STARZ app.
The series, the third installment in the expanded Power Universe franchise, is executive produced by Courtney A. Kemp, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Mark Canton, Terri Kopp, and Chris Selak. Gary Lennon serves as showrunner and executive producer for season three, continuing the legacy of compelling storytelling. Lionsgate Television produces the series for STARZ.
STARZ has officially announced the renewal of the hit drama series Power Book IV: Force for a highly anticipated third season. Starring Joseph Sikora as the formidable “Tommy Egan,” the show explores Egan’s quest to establish himself as the sole drug distributor in Chicago, providing viewers with intense drama and high-stakes storytelling.
The renewal news follows the gripping season two finale that aired in November, and fans can now catch up on the entire action-packed second season on the STARZ app.
“Power Book IV: Force” features a stellar cast, including Isaac Keys, Lili Simmons, Shane Harper, Kris D. Lofton, Carmela Zumbado, Manuel Eduardo Ramirez, Miriam A. Hyman, Adrienne Walker, Anthony Fleming III, and Lucien Cambric.
Showrunner and executive producer Gary Lennon, along with the executive production team led by Courtney A. Kemp, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Mark Canton, Terri Kopp, and Chris Selak, will continue their creative collaboration for the upcoming season. Lionsgate Television produces the series exclusively for STARZ, contributing to the continued success of the expansive “Power” Universe franchise.
For better or for worse, 50 Cent has always been a captivating entertainer and that’s emphasized on both ends. The Jamaica, Queens rapper was catapulted and then some into the masses with his undeniable classic debut album Get Rich Or Die Trying. The album presented 50 Cent as an indestructible and impenetrable figure like no other. These qualities helped make 50 Cent the monumental figure that we now know him as.
Nowadays, 50 Cent’s name is attached to his Power Universe, a crime drama television world that he co-created with showrunner Courtney Kemp with the launch of Power in 2014. That series concluded after six seasons in 2020, but that wasn’t the end of the Power experience. What started next was three spin-offs: Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and Power Book IV: Force. The universe dove into alternate narratives in the past, future, and a whole different world from the original Power series. It ensured that the Power legacy would last longer than most TV series do nowadays (minus The Walking Dead, which also has a plethora of spin-offs).
So how did 50 Cent go from hip-hop superstar with an undeniable classic album to a television mogul with a TV series beloved by his community?
It all starts heading into the 2010s, the decade that 50 Cent’s music stardom didn’t translate to the dominant commercial performances that we’d seen with his first three albums: Get Rich Or Die Trying, The Massacre, and Curtis. Before I Self Destruct was released at the end of 2009 and debuted at No. 5 on the album charts with first-week sales of 160,000 copies. While that number can get you a No. 1 album in 2023, that was not the case in 2009. What came next was 50 Cent’s slow exit from being a musician-first entertainer. Another album was delivered in 2014 with Animal Ambition after his release from Interscope Records. His long-delayed Street King Immortal album, which was announced in 2011, is now a “maybe one day” release, much like Dr. Dre’s Detox.
While 50 Cent’s music career was in a bit of a slump, his business ventures flourished. Various investments and partnerships brought the rapper massive success thanks to steps in the publishing, beverage, video game, and apparel industries. In 2010, months after releasing Before I Self Destruct, 50 Cent revived his G-Unit Films company that he originally launched in 2003 and renamed it G-Unit Films and Television. 50 Cent delivered several projects through G-Unit Films and Television within the first few years after the revamp, including Power. In a 2020 interview with The Washington Post, Kemp described the series as a “mixture of a detective story, cops and robbers, and it’s a soap also, it’s a love triangle drama, it’s a family drama.”
Initially, it wasn’t easy to find a home for Power. 50 Cent and Kemp shopped the series to a few platforms but failed to find one that would buy into the story until they came across STARZ and former CEO Chris Albrecht and former head of programming Carmi Zlotnik. “I remember being captivated by the ideas that they were talking about,” Zlotnik said. “I thought the combination of the vision that they had for a show would make something I had never seen before.”
Power delivered drama that left its viewers at the edge of their seats. Cliffhanger after cliffhanger enthralled fans with what could happen after each episode and season between main characters James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick), Tommy Egan (Joseph Sikora), and others, regardless of how delusional the events in the series were. The growth was apparent too. Power season one finale reeled in 1.08 million U.S. viewers, season two’s finale had 1.54 million U.S. viewers, and season three and four’s finales had 2.01 U.S. million and 2 million U.S. viewers, respectively. Power was popular all over the world by the end of season four. According to Variety, with an average of 9.3 million multiplatform viewers per episode that season and an average of 7.3 million over the life of the series at the conclusion of season four, the success of Power was enough to earn 50 Cent a new four-year deal with STARZ reportedly worth up to $150 million.
By the time that deal was done, 50 Cent had another TV series in development: BMF. The now-released Demetrious Flenory Jr. and Da’Vinchi-led show recounts the rise and eventual fall of the Black Mafia Family drug organization that rose to prominence in the 1980s in Detroit. BMF currently stands as a cousin of sorts to the Power Universe.
Consistency is a key ingredient in the recipe to success for any artist in any field and 50 Cent was well aware of that. His run of consistent hits, catchy hooks, and exciting verses has turned into a run of his television shows that lasts for nearly an entire calendar year. To get a better picture of how continuous and frequent this cinematic universe runs, let’s take a look at the 2021-2022 “season.” Raising Kanan season one ran from July 18 – September 26, BMF arrived for season one from September 26 – November 21, Ghost season two aired from November 21 – February 6, 2022, and lastly Force concluded the run with its inaugural season that started on February 6 – April 17. After a break for the summer, Raising Kanan returned for season two on August 14, kicking off a new round for the run of shows. Through this, 50 Cent’s animal ambition seamlessly made its way from headphones and speakers to small screens all over the world.
Its ability to satisfy every fan of the original Power series is another reason that the Power Universe is successful. For those who desired a continuation of the story, there’s Ghost. If a new focus on fan-favorite Tommy Egan was sought, Force provided that. Wanted to see how the Power world was created? Look no further than Raising Kanan. Furthermore, 50 Cent’s cinematic world provided an aesthetic and focus to satisfy many tastes whether it be ‘80s hip-hop culture (Raising Kanan and BMF), present-day urban luxury (Ghost), a world controlled by the mafia (Force). Lastly, hip-hop culture remained present in all of the aforementioned series as names in or connected to it made appearances in all the shows. They include 50 Cent himself, Mary. J Blige, Kendrick Lamar, Joey Badass, Jeremih, Redman, Jalen Rose, Method Man, LeToya Luckett, Omar Epps, Snoop Dogg, Serayah, Mo’Nique, Eminem, Yung Miami, and others. The culture that 50 Cent first rose to prominence in remained important to him even when he switched lanes and he made sure to include the names from today and yesterday to, once again, capture as many of its elements as possible.
In a world where television series don’t have the lifespans that they used to, 50 Cent and his team of crime drama producers and writers realized that aiming for lateral dominance with multiple options as opposed to longevity with just one would be more impactful for their universe. Add in consistency and attention to detail and audience, and you have the foundational pieces to build an empire that is the Power Universe. Nearly a decade in, 50 Cent wears the TV mogul hat proudly thanks to the success and growth of his cinematic universe.
It was back in May that STARZ finally confirmed to fans the news they had been waiting for. The company announced an official date for season 2 of Power Book IV: Force after months of fan speculation. It’s been over a year now since the first season of the show wrapped up which featured some moments fans have been thinking about ever since. They won’t have to wait too much longer to experience even more of those moments as season 2 is set to arrive on September 1st. Force is the 4th iteration of the power series following Book III: Raising Kanan, Book II: Ghost, and the original.
Now STARZ has seen fit to release a number of screenshots from season 2 of Power Book IV: Force. The pictures show off familiar faces like main character Tommy Egan. But they also included glimpses of much of the show’s ensemble cast. Altogether they released 8 new photos from season 2. While it may not give fans many narrative hints, that hasn’t stopped people online from chewing through every little detail looking for clues as to what might go down. Season 1 of the show is available to stream right now on STARZ for fans that need to catch up.
Between seasons 2 and 3 of Power Book II: Ghosts, Redman decided to leave the production. Earlier this year he took to Instagram to explain his decision to leave, citing the mandatory vaccination as a primary motivator. ““I walked away from Power after the second episode because everybody on the show had to have the jab and I wasn’t with it. That’s what I’m saying. You have to stand your ground,” he explained. 50 Cent took to the comments not to contest the events, but to provide his own explanation. ““He’s not lying he walked right away from the #1 show in African American and Latino house holds. SMH I took the shot fuck that.”
What do you think of the new pictures from season two of Power Book IV: Force? Let us know in the comment section below.
The second season of Power Book IV: Force, which stars Joseph Sikora as fan favorite Tommy Egan, will debut on Friday, Sept. 1 at midnight ET on all STARZ streaming and on-demand platforms as well as internationally on the LIONSGATE+ premium streaming platform in Brazil, Spanish-speaking Latin America, the UK, and Ireland.
It will have its linear television debut in the US and Canada on STARZ at 8 PM ET/PT. In addition, the network unveiled a first-look image and a new teaser of Tommy, who is more motivated than ever to take on Chicago’s heroin trade or suffer the repercussions.
The forthcoming season’s summary reads:
After cutting ties in New York, Tommy Egan’s newfound family and ruthless drug game enticed him to stay in Chicago. The explosive second season begins with Tommy on a mission to avenge the death of Lilliana, his former nemesis turned business partner. With Diamond (Isaac Keys) and Jenard (Kris D. Lofton) at odds, the Flynn organization weakened, and a new connect on the scene, Tommy is more determined than ever to take over the Chicago drug world.
Season two of Force stars Joseph Sikora (“Power,” “Ozark”) as “Tommy Egan,” Isaac Keys (“Get Shorty,” “The Oath”) as “Diamond Sampson,” Lili Simmons (“Banshee,” “Ray Donovan”) as “Claudia Flynn,” Shane Harper (“Hightown,” “A Teacher”) as “Vic Flynn,” Kris D. Lofton (“Ballers,” “Snowfall”) as “Jenard Sampson,” Carmela Zumbado (“You,” “Chicago PD”) as “Mireya Garcia,” Manuel Eduardo Ramirez (“Snowfall,” “Queen of the South”) as “Miguel Garcia,” Miriam A. Hyman (“The Chi,” “The Laundromat”) as “US Attorney Stacy Marks,” Adrienne Walker (“Law & Order: Organized Crime,” “FBI”) as “Shanti ‘Showstopper’ Page,” Anthony Fleming III (“Prison Break,” “The Beast”) as “JP,” Lucien Cambric (“Chicago P.D.,” “The Chi”) as “D-Mac,” and Tommy Flanagan (“Sons of Anarchy,” Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) as “Walter Flynn.”
50 Cent’s transition from rap superstar to a very successful executive producer of some of today’s most popular television shows is one that’s unmatched by many. His venture into the film industry began back in 2003 when he launched the film company G-Unit Films. In 2008, he launched Cheetah Vision which produces low-budget action thrillers for film markets across the world. G-Unit Films folded momentarily, but in 2010, 50 Cent revived it G-Unit Films and Television Inc. Under it, 50 Cent has teamed with STARZ and other TV companies to release great television shows that have grown to be favorites in households all over America.
Since the 2010 re-launch of G-Unit Films and Television Inc., keeping up with the various shows that 50 Cent has produced can be quite a task, especially if you’re new to it all. The following list will include all the shows that he’s executive produced starting with his trademark series Power, which as many of us now know, has expanded into its own universe. There are also other shows on this list that didn’t have the long life that Power did, and we’ll give some insights into some future releases that 50 Cent & Co. have on the way. This list will also be updated as new information comes out. So without further ado, here is what has existed, currently does, or will exist in 50 Cent’s cinematic universe.
Dream School
SundanceTV
Year: 2013 — 2014 Starring: 50 Cent, Genre: Reality TV Rating: TV-14 Runtime: 2 seasons, 10 episodes Created By: Jamie Oliver
The first TV show that 50 Cent helped to produce under the G-Unit Films and Television Inc. umbrella was a remake of the 2011 British documentary. 50 Cent watched chef Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Dream School, a seven-part series that took a group of struggling teenagers into his “dream school” where lessons would be taught by celebrities that were specialists in certain subjects. 50 Cent saw this documentary and knew he wanted to help bring the American version of the series to life, and that he did. “It’s an opportunity to utilize your celebrity and influence in a positive way,” he said in a 2013 interview with The Grio. “Jamie Oliver’s people reached out to me, and the show was previously a success. I knew it would be a success here also. “ Dream School launched in 2013 and went on to have two seasons and a total of ten episodes that featured civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, rapper Chuck D, rapper, producer, and DJ Swizz Beatz, chef David Cheng, astronaut Mae Jemison, and more as celebrity teachers.
Year: 2014 — 2020 Starring: Omari Hardwick, Joseph Sikora, Lela Loren, Naturi Naughton, Curtis Jackson, Michael Rainey Jr., Shane Johnson, Jerry Ferrara, Larenz Tate, Rotimi Akinosho, Gianni Paolo Genre: Crime, Drama Rating: TV-MA Runtime: 6 seasons, 73 episodes Created By: Courtney A. Kemp
Power is a crime drama television series that 50 Cent created and produced with Courtney A. Kemp. The show launched its first season in the summer of 2014 and went on to have six successful seasons before coming to an end in the winter of 2020. Power followed the story of James St. Patrick, played by Omari Hardwick, who was a smart and quick-on-his-feet drug dealer who went by the street name “Ghost.” The series follows his desire to exit the drug game and maintain and law-abiding life as a businessman who is the owner of a nightclub, Truth. Throughout the show’s six seasons, we watch St. Patrick’s attempts to balance his street life and business life with the hope of exiting out of the former. However, the pressures of street and business enemies, a crumbling marriage, grief, and more make that exit harder than expected. In the end, it leads to a tragic conclusion that sparks the beginning of three spin-offs of the original Power series.
50 Central was launched in the fall of 2017 on BET. It was a sketch comedy series hosted and presented by 50 Cent that went on to have just one season and 12 total episodes. 50 Central was a sketch comedy series that featured a cast of up-and-coming comedians at the time. Over the show’s 12 episodes, J.B. Smoove, Michael Blackson, Tiffany Haddiish, Alonzo B. Slater, Vivica Fox, and more appeared.
Year: 2017 — 2019 Starring: Ryan Kwanten, Katrina Law, Cory Hardict, J.J. Soria, Arien Escarpenta, Sean Bean, and Christina Millian Genre: Crime, Drama Rating: TV-MA Runtime: 2 seasons, 18 episodes Created By: Joe Haplin
In the spring of 2017, Crackle announced that The Oath had been green-lighted for production on an inaugural season that would consist of 10 episodes. The show was created and written by Joe Haplin who also served as the series’ showrunner alongside 50 Cent who would executive produce the series. As explained in an official synopsis, The Oath explores “a world of gangs made up of those sworn to protect and defend and sheds light on corrupt and secret societies that are nearly impossible to join.” It’s a crime drama series that’s on-brand to most shows that 50 Cent has helped produce under G-Unit Films and Television Inc.
Year: 2020 — 2021 Starring: Nicholas Pinnock, Indira Varma, Joy Bryant, Mary Stuart Masterson, Dorian Crossmond Missick, Tyla Harris, Brandon J. Dirden Genre: Drama Rating: TV-14 Runtime: 2 seasons, 23 episodes Created By: Hank Steinberg
For Life is probably one of the more underrated entries in 50 Cent’s cinematic universe. Released in 2020, the ABC drama series went on for two seasons and 23 episodes with Hank Steinberg as the creator. For Life was inspired by the true story of Isaac Wright Jr. who was wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. Wright Jr. is portrayed by Nicholas Pinnock who plays a man named Aaron Wallace. Just like Wright Jr., Wallace became an attorney during his time in prison and helped to overturn the wrongful convictions of several inmates before doing the same for himself. After his release from prison, Wallace would continue to help inmates have their convictions overturned. “I look at producing like finding the most significant stories, and then you come to a point where the facts are better than fiction,” 50 Cent said in a 2020 interview with Billboard. “For this, it wasn’t just the saying ‘one in a million.’ He really is just the only one.”
Year: 2020 — Starring: Michael Rainey Jr., Gianni Paolo, Shane Johnson, Lovell Adams-Gray, Woody McClain, Method Man, Mary J. Blige, Berto Colo, Alix Lapri, Larenz Tate Genre: Drama, Crime Rating: TV-MA Runtime: 3 seasons, 30 episodes (8 yet-to-be-released) Created By: Courtney A. Kemp
After the original Power series concluded in 2020, 50 Cent, the Power team, and STARZ announced four spin-offs of the original series. While one of them was eventually canceled, the remaining three have successfully continued the Power story and universe. Power Book II: Ghost was the first spin-off released and this series is based on the life of James “Ghost” St. Patrick’s son, Tariq, and the events that followed after the death of Ghost (sorry for the spoiler). In Power Book II: Ghost, Tariq is trying to navigate his new life as a college student while also trying to create a new legacy for himself and grow up to be much different than his father. Unfortunately, pressures to support his family in unimaginable ways result in Tariq being more similar to his father than he would’ve liked. Nonetheless, he tells himself that his decisions and actions are done to bring him one step closer to a life out of the streets.
Year: 2021 — Starring: Mekai Curtis, Patina Miller, Omar Epps, London Brown, Malcolm Mays, Joey Bada$$, Hailey Kilgore, Toby Sandeman, Antonio Ortiz Genre: Drama, Crime Rating: TV-MA Runtime: 2 seasons, 20 episodes Created By:Sascha Penn
Power Book III: Raising Kanan is the second spin-off in the Power series. Unlike the other two, this one goes back in time to tell the story of Kanan, the mentor-turned-rival of James “Ghost” St. Patrick. Kanan introduced Ghost into the drug game, but as it was revealed in the original Power series, Ghost’s relationship with Kanan soured when he and his wife Tasha set him up to be put in prison on a ten-year sentence. Power Book III: Raising Kanan hasn’t re-enacted the first interaction between Ghost and Kanan, but in the series’ first two seasons, we see how Kanan (played by Mekai Curtis) was introduced into the drug game. We see that Kanan’s experience in the streets is rooted in a family organization that was in place before him, as we see in Power Book II: Ghost. Though Power Book III: Raising Kanan has been billed as a fictional story, 50 Cent has said that he drew on his childhood experiences in Queens to shape some of the show’s stories.
Year: 2021 — Starring: Demetrius Flenory Jr., Da’Vinchi, Michole Briana White, Russell Hornsby, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Myles Truitt, La La Anthony Genre: Drama, Crime Rating: TV-MA Runtime: 2 seasons, 18 episodes Created By: Randy Huggins
Though BMF is not a part of the Power Universe, it does make use of the same qualities that make a 50 Cent-produced crime drama so enjoyable. The show is loosely based on the Black Mafia Family, the Detroit drug organization that was founded in 1985 and grew to be a nationally successful empire by the 2000s. Founded and led by Demetrius “Meech” Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, BMF was a well-oiled drug empire that had hubs in Atlanta and Los Angeles before they were taken down in 2005 with the Flenory brothers’ arrest. Demetrius “Meech” Flenory Jr. plays his father while Da’Vinchi takes on the role of Southwest T. In addition to showing the brothers’ start in the drug game, BMF also shows how values like family, loyalty, and played into the BMF’s rise and how other factors came in to foreshadow their eventual fall.
Year: 2022 — Starring: Joseph Sikora, Isaac Keys, Lili Simmons, Shane Harper, Kris D. Lofton, Anthony Flemming, Lucien Cambric, Tommy Flanagan Genre: Drama, Crime Rating: TV-MA Runtime: 1 season, 10 episodes Created By: Robert Munic
Power Book IV: Force is the most recently released spin-off of the original Power. This series is focused on the life of Tommy Egan (played by Joseph Sikora) after the death of James “Ghost” St. Patrick. Egan originally planned to drive from New York to California to start his new life, but a stop in Chicago brought him new opportunities and new information about his past. In the show’s inaugural season, Egan discovers the truth about his family, meets family members he was unaware of, finds love, and gets his hands dirty in the city’s drug game while ruffling some feathers. Everything about Tommy Egan in Power Book IV: Force is on-par with the quick-tempered individual we were introduced to and got to know in Power. Only this time, Tommy is in charge of everything which leads to both good and bad results.
Year: 2022 — Starring: Van Lanthan Jr. Genre: Documentary Rating: TV-MA Runtime: 1 season, 11 episodes Created By: 50 Cent & Mona Scott-Young
Last fall, 50 Cent teamed up with Van Lathan for a new series that was tied to his musical roots, in an unfortunate way. Hip-Hop Homicides debuted in November 2022 as an unscripted weTV series that looked into the unsolved murders of hip-hop rappers from recent history. In the season’s first 8 episodes, the deaths of Pop Smoke, Chinx, XXXTentacion, King Von, and more were all examined with commentary from Lathan and others that aims to uncover how these murders occurred and hopefully provide new details that could solve their cases. The series’ first season concluded at the beginning of 2023, and while there’s no word yet on a second season, the hope is that the show returns to accurately cover more of the recent deaths that occurred in hip-hop.
For the early parts of 2023, 50 Cent teased a project that many believed was tied to the next release in the GTA series. He later revealed that the project was actually a new series called Vice City, which is also the rumored location of the next GTA installment. Vice City will be released through Paramount+ and be executive produced by Darnell Metayer (Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts) and Josh Peters (Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts) with Chad Stahelski (John Wick franchise) serving as executive producer/director. According to Deadline, Vice City “follows three friends, and former soldiers, who return to their home city of Miami in the mid-80s after being dishonorably discharged from the military for their involvement in the Iran Contra scandal.” The article adds, “Disgraced, displaced, and forgotten by the country they served and with no good job prospects, the three friends partner with a mysterious Colombian immigrant, uniting their financial needs and criminal ambitions to form a heist crew.”
FOX Deal
In February 2023, 50 Cent signed a non-exclusive, broadcast direct deal with FOX. With the deal, 50 Cent and G-Unit Films and Television Inc. will develop both live-action and animated scripted series for the network. The deal is non-exclusive which allows him to produce other shows wherever he wants, like the aforementioned Vice City series. FOX will own any series greenlit through this deal and its in-house Fox Entertainment Studios will produce the releases alongside G-Unit Films and Television Inc.
“I am excited to formalize a partnership with Michael Thorn and Fox that will allow G-Unit Film & Television to focus on putting multiple series on Fox, a perfect broadcast destination for G-Unit Film & Television content while our premium, streaming, scripted, and non-scripted slates continue to grow in all directions,” 50 Cent said about the new deal.
This list will be updated with news about 50 Cent’s current and future productions.
Earlier this month, TV mogul Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson seemed very incensed with his situation with the STARZ network and threatened to pull his top-rated Power Universe series from the network if they didn’t give his show some priority because of its high ratings. This weekend, Fif shared a TikTok on IG showing a committed fan mad about the show’s slow roll out.
The video post’s caption read, “I have 4 more episodes of FORCE, then I don’t have anything airing on STARZ for six months so y’all know the vibes.” The man in the video shouted, “What you mean no shows for six months!?” 50 added, “FORCE is the highest rated premier of any show on the network. when they take too long to green light it, it pushes the production time line back. after tonight’s episode there are 3 left, April 10 it’s a wrap. Then 6 months till i have anything new.”
The issues with STARZ hit the surface at the beginning of the month, saying “They suck, my deal is up and I’m out.”. He added, “Hold my calls i’m traveling,” he wrote alongside a photo of a couple of suitcases. “Getting the fvck away from STARZ. @bransoncognac @lecheminduroi. Anil get your fvcking bag’s in the car now, we are out of here, take that fvcking sign off the door no more G-unit film and television over here.”
Freddie Gibbs plays Cousin Buddy, a crazy and unpredictable drug kingpin from Gary, Indiana where the rapper himself is actually from. Cousin Buddy is introduced when Jenard decides to step out of CBI and set up a drug operation in Gary. Cousin Buddy and Jenard’s first interaction is filled with tension as the pair are known to be hotheads. Luckily, thanks to their desire to make money, Cousin Buddy and Jenard are able to put their egos aside and get to business.
(SPOILERS for this week’s Power Book IV: Force will be found below.)
As a fan of his music, it’s been good seeing Jeremih on the small screen these past few weeks. It’s been more than six years since we received an album from Jeremih, which his last project being 2015’s Late Night. However, he’s still active in the music world as he appears on the theme song for Power Book IV: Force. “Power Powder Respect” also features 50 Cent, who created the Power series, and Lil Durk, who along with Jeremih, hails from Chicago where the show is based in. However, there’s more to Jeremih’s involvement in Power Book IV: Force.
What Role Does Jeremih Have On ‘Power?’
Jeremih also plays Elijah who is the right-hand man to Jenard, the younger brother of Diamond who currently runs the CBI gang. Jenard was previously in charge of CBI while Diamond was in jail, but following his release, Jenard reluctantly surrendered the throne. Elijah makes his first impression in Power Book IV: Force nearly coming to blows with Tommy during their first meeting. Just like Jenard, Elijah is not too fond of Tommy and seeks to get rid of him in the most efficient or quickest way possible, whichever comes first.
New episodes of STARZ’s ‘Power Book IV: Force’ are available to watch on Sunday at 12:00am EST.
If you’d told me 20 years ago that 50 Cent would become one of the hottest producers in television with a veritable cinematic universe to his name… Actually, I would have believed you. At the time, he was the biggest thing in rap music, a world-class superstar who had promised to put the radio game in a chokehold — and then did it.
Now, he’s done the same with premium TV; again, if you told me his Power franchise (with three spin-offs plus an unrelated but thematically relevant Black Mafia Family bio series) were majorly responsible for a big boost in Starz subscriptions for the past three years, I would definitely be inclined to believe you.
The story that began with Ghost St. Patrick and Tommy Egan way back in 2014 in the original Power is, in 50’s own words, coming full-circle with the upcoming spin-off, Book IV: Force. Following Tommy’s exploits when he leaves New York for his hometown, Chicago, Tommy will once again get wrapped up in criminal enterprise and intrigue as he gets caught between two of the city’s rival organizations.
With Book IV: Force set to premiere on Starz on February 6, executive producer 50 Cent sat down for a Zoom call with Uproxx to discuss the show’s cultural impact, its catchy theme music, and why he would actually prefer if his cinematic universe was a little more family-friendly.
What modern-day social issues do you hope to address with the show with the story of Tommy in this new city?
Coming into the town, he interacts with who he would just run into. It turns into a whole different thing, but in the future, you should expect him to see more of that culture that we are aware of coming into the show, but it comes in as a resource that he sees. When he’s under circumstances where he gets into something and he involves them to come as muscle.
I’m not trying to fix the world with television. I’m trying to entertain people with it. And I think when you look at everything else that’s there, when you look at the news, all you see are things that speak to the graphic nature of premium television. So this is where we make a connection that network television doesn’t. I think people connect with that, having really flawed characters that people could relate to. I think that’s what makes them watch the show with a different intensity. They feel like they could have played the character.
How much of yourself do you see in your characters when they make choices on the shows? Do you find yourself going, “Well, I would do that differently”? Every time Cane [In Book II: Ghost] does something, I’m just like, “This dummy.”
I definitely do that. “What is he doing? Why are you doing that? I get into it too. I’ve seen the material. I’ve read it. Even when I’m not on set, I still get a chance to see the pieces of it. I watch it, complete it before everybody else watches it, and I’m still not excited until I’m watching it and everybody else is watching it because I’m thinking what everybody else is thinking when they watch it.
How hard is it as the producer not to jump in and be like, “Don’t do that! No. Change that.”
It is very hard. Look, I’ll call the writers or the showrunners of the shows, I’ve called each one of them at points and said, “Why? Why is this like this? Why does it have to be like this?” There are certain scenes that they’ve done in Ghost. I look and go, “Yo, could we tone that down a little bit?”
So, when you put that with younger characters… Also knowing some of the audience is not as mature. I like the sex scenes and stuff but some of it can be insinuated, you don’t have to see it. The fact that we can do it, they feel like, okay, cool. We just don’t want to go from watching television that ended up in soft pornography.
How many spinoffs do you think this universe can support? What would an Avengers-like crossover look like between the shows?
Whew, you said Avengers, that’s crazy. Look, I already took this far enough. If you looked at Power, Ghost, Raising Kanan, and now, Force. finishes the story. Because it was Ghost and Tommy in the beginning.
It’s just, his lady would help him with things. She was the right woman for the journey and the wrong woman in the story because she’s only seeing him one way. So she just wants him to be the biggest drug dealer. Remember that line, “When you look at me what do you see?”, “Biggest drug dealer in the city.”
Right. Right. Right. And it’s like, don’t encourage me to be this. Encourage me to be better.
Something different. And then while he’s having to change a heart no one knows.
And that’s kind of like where every gangster show goes, right? The guys want to go legit and the city won’t let them. The game won’t let them.
At the point that you decide that “I have enough. I’ve made enough. I experienced enough.” Right. This is when you go, “maybe I could have did it legit or did it a different way.” And at that point, the irony of it is you’re under investigation.
Yeah. Because you’ve gotten too big. That’s the danger of being the biggest is that you become a target. When you’re recording the theme music what inspiration do you take away from the show itself and how does it differ from writing music for yourself?
When you get into the theme songs, it’s fun to make those records for me. It’s like each one of them is a separate energy, a separate piece. I’ll go in the studio. I’m like, “Yo, this last one was forced.” It was easy. I had to make something that felt like Chicago and no matter what I write about Chicago, it’s going to feel like New York.
So look, there’s two vocal versions of the song. So when you hear the television show, it’s slightly different from when it’s on the song and it’s because I’ve really set the vocals once I heard the tones in Durk’s verse and what Jeremih the chorus felt like finished. Because we’ve done it several times. He’s done the hook two, three different times before we got it all the way right.
Durk recorded one time and then sent it back and then we heard it and then we had everything, all the pieces to put the song together. And I didn’t want it to feel like a collage because I’m here, they’re there and we just put it together. So I matched the tones of everything else so it’ll feel like a cohesive song.
How do you find angles to play off each individual style out from the collaborators like with NLE Choppa and Lil Durk?
Look, you have with NLE and these guys, these are the new guys, bro. The “hip” part of hip-hop is youth. You know what I’m saying? So what they’re thinking and doing, you got to watch them and see how to wave for what’s coming next. It’s going to go.
Do you think you can ride that wave into the future?
The cadences that they using is not difficult at all. If you listen to the music, you could just go, “Okay. I could write that.” If I was coming right now, I’d be on fire. I think once you’ve been, let’s say seasoned, right? I sold over 35 million records, bro. I have a whole 12 years, 13 years of dominating hip-hop culture. Nobody wants to remember that time period though because it was not comfortable.
When you represent things that are street or that have the energy, it’s on the artist without him even saying anything. The NBA YoungBoy, these kids is coming from different territories, but they have street on them. They can’t help it. It’s already there. You don’t have to have Instagram or Twitter or any of that stuff because once it connects it, it’s just there.
Power Book IV: Force premieres February 6th on Starz.
