The cast of “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” brings the story of Kanan Stark and the Thomas family to life. Set in South Jamaica, Queens, in the 1990s, the series follows a young Kanan as he finds his place in the world while becoming increasingly involved in his family’s drug business. The series ran for five seasons, with each season introducing characters who shaped Kanan’s journey.
If you can’t remember who plays each character, this “Raising Kanan” cast guide breaks down the major characters and the actors behind them, including Kanan, Raq, Marvin, Lou-Lou, Jukebox, Unique and Detective Malcolm Howard.
Kanan Stark – Mekai Curtis
Kanan Stark is the main character in “Raising Kanan.” The series follows his transition from a teenager under his mother Raquel “Raq” Thomas’ influence to someone determined to make his own choices. Although he is ambitious and intelligent, Kanan is still trying to understand what is happening around him, especially as he becomes more involved in his family’s drug business. His experiences help shape the hardened man viewers later meet in the original “Power.”
50 Cent previously played Kanan in “Power,” while Mekai Curtis plays the younger version of the character in “Raising Kanan.” 50 Cent also serves as an executive producer on the series and has produced other crime dramas, including “Black Mafia Family (BMF).”
Curtis has been acting since he was a child. Before playing Kanan, he appeared in the movie “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” and the series “Kirby Buckets.”
Raquel “Raq” Thomas – Patina Miller
Raq is the fierce and calculating matriarch of the Thomas family. As Kanan’s mother, she wants to protect her son while also running the family’s drug operation. Her relationship with Kanan becomes increasingly complicated as she tries to maintain control and he pushes for more independence.
Patina Miller has received acclaim for roles including the Leading Player in the Broadway revival of “Pippin,” Commander Paylor in “The Hunger Games” and Daisy Grant in “Madam Secretary.” Her role as Raq also gives her the chance to portray a mother, sister and aunt alongside her life as a drug boss.
Marvin Thomas – London Brown
Marvin is Raq’s hot-headed older brother and Kanan’s uncle. His impulsive decisions often create problems for the family, forcing Raq and the other Thomas siblings to deal with the consequences. Marvin is also Jukebox’s father, and his relationship with his daughter shows a different side of him.
London Brown is an actor and comedian best known for playing Reggie in HBO’s “Ballers.” He has also appeared in “The Hustle” and “American Soul.”
Lou-Lou Thomas – Malcolm Mays
Lou-Lou is the youngest of the Thomas siblings and Kanan’s uncle. He is more level-headed than Marvin and, unlike his brother, has a strong interest in music. Although he wants to leave the drug business behind, getting away from his family’s life is not as easy as he hopes.
Malcolm Mays plays Lou-Lou. Before joining “Raising Kanan,” Mays played Kevin Hamilton in “Snowfall” and appeared in the 2015 boxing movie “Southpaw.”
LaVerne “Jukebox” Ganner – Hailey Kilgore
Jukebox is Kanan’s cousin and Marvin’s daughter. She is confident, independent and passionate about music, which gives her something in common with her uncle Lou-Lou. She also has a close relationship with Kanan, although their lives take very different paths. Hailey Kilgore was already an accomplished stage performer before joining the “Power” universe. Her Broadway debut as Ti Moune in “Once on This Island” earned her a Tony Award nomination. She later appeared in “Hadestown.”
Unique Mathis – Joey Bada$$
Unique is introduced as one of Raq’s biggest rivals in the Queens drug trade. His conflict with the Thomas family becomes a major part of the series and affects both Raq’s operation and Kanan’s development. Joey Bada$$, who plays Unique, is better known as a rapper but has also built an acting career. He appeared as Leon in “Mr. Robot,” while “Raising Kanan” became one of his most notable television roles. Unique remains part of the story in the fifth and final season as he tries to regain his foothold in Queens.
Detective Malcolm Howard – Omar Epps
Detective Malcolm Howard is an NYPD officer whose investigation puts him at the center of the Thomas family’s secrets. His connection to Kanan and Raq makes him an important part of the story from the beginning.
Omar Epps had a successful Hollywood career before joining “Raising Kanan.” He appeared in movies such as “Juice,” “Higher Learning,” “The Wood” and “Love & Basketball.” He is also known for playing Dr. Eric Foreman on “House.” Epps appears in the first three seasons of “Raising Kanan,” with Howard continuing to affect the story afterward.
Shawn “Famous” Figueroa – Antonio Ortiz
Shawn Figueroa, known as Famous, is Kanan’s best friend and an aspiring rapper. His character gives viewers a look at Kanan’s life outside his family and the drug business. Famous also has ambitions of his own, but those ambitions eventually put him in difficult situations. Antonio Ortiz has also appeared in “High Fidelity,” “The Sinner” and “The Forty-Year-Old Version.” Famous appears primarily in the first three seasons of “Raising Kanan,” rather than throughout all five seasons.
Ronnie Mathis – Grantham Coleman
Ronnie is Unique’s older brother and enters the series in season 3 after being released from prison. His arrival changes the balance around Kanan and the Thomas family, as he becomes involved in the drug trade and pushes Kanan toward more dangerous territory. Grantham Coleman plays Ronnie. He has also appeared in “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” and “The Emperor of Ocean Park.”
Symphony Bosket – Toby Sandeman
Symphony is romantically linked to Raq and gives Kanan a glimpse of a life away from the streets. A former military man, he becomes involved with Raq while she tries to balance her personal life with her responsibilities to her family and business.
Toby Sandeman has appeared in projects such as “The Royals” and “The Game.” Symphony is mainly part of the earlier seasons, appearing in season 1 and returning in a recurring role in season 2.
Ishmael “Snaps” Henry – Wendell Pierce
Snaps is an established figure in the drug business who becomes connected to Kanan as the teenager starts building his own path. He works with Stephanie “Pop” Henry, and the two become influential figures in Kanan’s growing drug operation.
Wendell Pierce is best known for playing Detective William “The Bunk” Moreland in “The Wire.” He has also appeared in films and television projects including “Selma.” Pierce joined “Raising Kanan” in season 3 and remained part of the story in the final season.
Stephanie “Pop” Henry – Erika Woods
Stephanie “Pop” Henry works alongside Snaps and is another experienced figure in the drug business. Her relationship with Snaps and her dealings with Kanan make her part of the world he enters as he becomes more confident in his ambitions.
Erika Woods joined “Raising Kanan” in season 3 alongside Wendell Pierce and continued in the series through its final season.
Branford “Breeze” Frady – Shameik Moore
Breeze isn’t part of Kanan’s story from the beginning. He enters the series later and becomes increasingly important as Kanan’s drug business grows. Fans of the original “Power” already know the name because Breeze is closely connected to Kanan’s future.
Shameik Moore, who plays Breeze, is known for roles in “Dope” and “The Get Down,” as well as voicing Miles Morales in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” Moore first appears as Breeze late in season 4 before becoming a major part of the final season, when he and Kanan build their drug business together.
The “Raising Kanan” Cast Brings Kanan’s Story Full Circle
“Power Book III: Raising Kanan” premiered in July 2021 and concluded with its fifth season in 2026. The series follows Kanan from his teenage years in Queens to the early stages of the drug empire that eventually shapes his life in the original “Power.” Mekai Curtis, Patina Miller, London Brown, Malcolm Mays and Hailey Kilgore remained central to the Thomas family story. At the same time, characters such as Unique, Ronnie, Snaps, Pop and Breeze helped move Kanan’s story in different directions. For viewers who started with the original “Power,” “Raising Kanan” fills in the history behind one of the franchise’s most complicated characters and shows how he became the man audiences first met through 50 Cent’s portrayal.
