Every Rap & R&B Star That Appeared In The “Power” Universe

BYAron A.2.9K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
For Your Consideration Event For STARZs' "Power" - Red Carpet
HOLLYWOOD, CA - MAY 10: Executive producer/Rapper Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson attends the For Your Consideration Event for STARZs' "Power" at ArcLight Hollywood on May 10, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images)
From Freddie Gibbs and Lil Durk to Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent has used the "Power" universe to introduce rappers into TV.

There are very few television shows that have captured the hearts of hip-hop heads like Power. The 50 Cent-led production has become more of a universe at this point with three spin-offs that have continued to keep fans at the edge of their seats. Most recently, the Power universe brought an end to Power Book II: Ghost, which included a cameo from Lil Durk, who made his acting debut. However, he’s far from the last musical artist to appear on the show. Throughout the original series and its spin-off, 50 Cent and Courtney Kemp have been selective with the star cameos from hip-hop’s elite. Of course, we’ve seen lyrical heavyweights like Joey Bada$$ and Method Man grace the screen in prominent roles, along with R&B icons like Mary J. Blige and Jeremih. Below, we’ve done a round-up of every hip-hop and R&B star to appear in the Power universe. 

50 Cent - Kanan Stark (Power, Power Book III: Raising Kanan)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 20: Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson attends the "Power" Final Season World Premiere at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on August 20, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

Without 50 Cent, Power would not be as successful as it is. As a showrunner, he’s played a significant role alongside Courtney Kemp in bringing this story to life. However, he also played one of the best roles of his acting career as Kanan Stark. He served as Ghost's and Tommy's former mentor-turned-rival in the original Power series. However, his story was explored even further in the spin-off series, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, though Fif primarily appeared in flashbacks.

Joey Bada$$ - Kadeem "Unique" Mathis (Power Book III: Raising Kanan)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 15: Joey Bada$$ attends the "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" New York premiere at the Hammerstein Ballroom on July 15, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/FilmMagic)

A revered MC in his own right, Bada$$ delved into acting in the years that led to his role in Power Book III: Raising Kanan. In the show, he took on the role of Unique, who initially served as the primary antagonist and later, became an anti-hero. He was a streetwise kingpin who inherited a drug empire from his incarcerated brother. The role came for Bada$$ after he already won an Oscar for Two Distant Strangers and appeared as Rebel/Inspectah Deck in Wu Tang: An American Saga

Method Man - Davis MacLean (Power Book II: Ghost)

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 12: Method Man performs onstage during the Strength of a Woman's MJB “Celebrating Hip Hop 50” Concert in Partnership with Mary J. Blige, Pepsi, and Live Nation Urban at State Farm Arena on May 12, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Strength Of A Woman Festival & Summit)

Meth took on the role of the suave criminal defense attorney Davis MacLean. In the first two seasons of the spinoff, he serves as Tariq St. Patrick’s defense attorney while also aiding Tasha before forming a professional bond with Cooper Saxe. Though Meth has undoubtedly built a strong resumé as an actor, his appearance as MacLean will undoubtedly serve as one of the most notable roles in his career.

Mary J Blige - Monet Stewart Tejada (Power Book II: Ghost)

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 14: Mary J Blige as Special Guest Judge for Strength of a Woman's “Purpose Ball: Bridging the Gap” in Partnership with Mary J. Blige, Pepsi, and Live Nation Urban at The Bank on May 14, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for Strength Of A Woman Festival & Summit)

In the first spin-off in the Power universe, Mary J. Blige takes on the role of Monet Steward Tejada–the second-in-command in the Tejada cartel. As Lorenzo Tejada’s husband, she serves as the queenpin of the organization, recruiting her three children, Dru, Cane, and Diana, to keep the family business afloat. Mary J. Blige’s portrayal has earned her great acclaim on screen and two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Kendrick Lamar - Laces (Power)

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 13: Kendrick Lamar performs in the Pepsi Halftime Show during the NFL Super Bowl LVI football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Perhaps, one of the most surprising rapper cameos in a television series, Kendrick Lamar stepped onto the TV screen as Laces, a neighborhood “crackhead” that helps Kanan track down a few henchmen. It was truly a shocking and splendid display of his acting chops, which was a selling point for Courtney Kemp. In fact, she admitted to rejecting several rappers who hoped to appear on Power.

 “He wanted to play something crazy,” Kemp told EW. “You would never put in Kendrick as a gangster anyway; he’s not really that guy. He wanted to come in and play a part and really act. Most people don’t really wanna act. They wanna, like, ‘Yeah, I wanna be in that s—. I wanna have a gun, I wanna…’ and they don’t wanna act. Kendrick wanted the challenge. He wanted the next level of his artistry and his creativity to be challenged. He really wanted us to give him something.”  

Redman - Theo Rollins (Power Book II: Ghost)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 11: Redman attends DJ Cassidy's Pass The Mic Live! at Prudential Center on May 11, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)

Redman appeared as Theo Rollins, MacLean’s incarcerated brother. It was an interesting dynamic, considering it marked one of the first times since Method & Red that the Blackout! Collaborators appeared together on TV. Unfortunately, Redman’s appearance on the show lasted one season. Method Man later revealed they had to recast Rollins’ role because Redman refused to get the COVID-19 jab.

Freddie Gibbs - Cousin Buddy (Power Book IV: Force)

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 23: Freddie Gibbs attends the Spotify and Hulu "RapCaviar Presents" Premiere Celebration at Ysabel on March 23, 2023 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kayla Oaddams/Getty Images)

Just as Freddie Gibbs began getting his feet wet in the acting world with films like Down With The King and a supporting role in Peacock’s Bust Down, he returned as Cousin Buddy in Power Book IV: Force. In the show, he portrayed the cousin of Marshall Cranon, a cross-eyed kingpin in Gary, IN who links up with Jenard Sampson to further expand his operation.

Jeremih - Elijah Linden (Power Book IV: Force)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 28: Jeremih attends "Power Book IV Force" Dinner at on January 28, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

A high-ranking member of the CBI organization, Elijah Linden serves as a street-smart ally to the Sampson brothers who eventually meet his demise. Jeremih hasn’t necessarily built a strong filmography over his career but it was still an impressive outting. No doubt that his long-standing relationship with 50 Cent played a major role. 

MC Lyte - Jelani Otombe (Power)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 07: MC Lyte visits SiriusXM Studios on August 07, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images)

The legendary MC delivered an impeccable but brief performance in the season 5 finale of Power as Jelani Otombe.

Rotimi -  Andre Coleman (Power)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 19: Actor Rotimi visits BuzzFeed's "AM To DM" on August 19, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

Serving as part of the main cast from the second season onward, Rotimi portrayed Andre “Dre” Coleman. Though once a close affiliate to Ghost and Kanan, he eventually begins to try and make a mark for himself. However, his efforts ultimately lead to his own death. 

LeToya Luckett - Kenya Pierce (Power Book III: Raising Kanan)

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 13: LeToya Luckett attends the 2022 Soul Train Awards presented by BET at the Orleans Arena on November 13, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)

LeToya Luckett plays Kenya Pierce in Power Book III: Raising Kanan. Kenya is introduced as the long-lost mother of Jukebox (portrayed by Hailey Kilgore), who abandoned her as a child. After years away, Kenya re-enters her daughter's life, attempting to form a relationship with her. The former Destiny Child star crushed her role as Kenya.

Lil Durk - Bronze (Power Book II: Ghost)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Lil Durk attends PrettyLittleThing: Teyana Taylor Collection II New York Fashion Week on September 09, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for PrettyLittleThing )

In his acting debut, Lil Durk took on the role of Bronze who portrays a cousin of the Tejada family. It’s a full circle moment for Durk, who previously contributed to the “Power Powder Respect” theme song alongside 50 Cent and Jeremih. Durk didn’t necessarily receive a standing ovation for his efforts. However, he deserves his flowers for proving that drill has no limits. 

LightSkinKeisha - Brushaundria Carmichael (Power Book II: Ghost)

LightSkinKeisha at the season 4 premiere of "Power Book II: Ghost" held at The Hammerstein Ballroom on June 6, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images)

Expanding her filmography further, LightSkinKeisha takes on the role of Brushaundria Carmichael, a classmate of Tariq. 

Yung Bleu - Stokely (Power Book II: Ghost)

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 12: Yung Bleu attends the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center on September 12, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/FilmMagic)

The Mobile, AL star took on a small role in the latest season of Power Book II: Ghost.

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
...