Nearly a full decade into its historic run, the 50 Cent-produced Power series is among the most popular television shows in the hip-hop space. On Wednesday, (March 13), Starz announced that the network is now developing Origins, the fourth Power spinoff following Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book III: Raising Kanan and Power Book IV: Force. The next iteration will dive into the upbringing and backstory of characters Ghost and Tommy, originally portrayed by actors Omari Hardwick and Joseph Sikora, respectively.
Not only is the award-winning Starz franchise a favorite among fans who love rap music, but rappers themselves love all iterations of the show and have the song lyrics to prove it. Eminem is one MC who showed love to the Power series in rhyme form. Being 50 Cent’s closest hip-hop confidant, Slim appeared on Conway The Machine’s 2019 track “Bang” with a hard-hitting verse that refers to Kanan Stark, the lead protagonist in the Power universe. “In the trailer park,” Eminem raps. “Told her I’d play the part like Kanan Stark’s/Ate her t**t like a Tater Tot.”
As for Nicki Minaj, she shouted out both the series and its executive producer in true hip-hop fashion on 2018’s “Barbie Dreams.” With her take on The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Just Playing (Dreams),” Nicki used her masterful wordplay to acknowledge her Queens-bred brethren 50 Cent and his massively successful TV product with the line, “I tried to f**k 50 for a powerful hour/But all that n***a wanna do is talk Power for hours.”
Other rappers who’ve been quick to compare their lives in the fast lane to those of Power staples like Tommy, Ghost and Kanan include Babyface Ray, Joyner Lucas and the late Young Dolph.
With Origins now in production and the other four shows in the Power universe being so widely lauded, XXL breaks down some of the best Power-related bars hip-hop has to offer. Take a look at rappers showing love to Power below.