KANAN: AMERICA'S FAVORITE PSYCHO
Alcohol consumed during this creative process: Effen Vodka & Effen Vodka Black Cherry (inspired by 50 Cent)
Headphones used during this process: SMS Audio Wireless Sports Headphones (Carmelo Anthony Edition) and SYNC by 50 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
Dual Location: Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles, 1514 North Gower Street (Corner of Sunset & Gower), Hollywood, Ca 90028 and World famous Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood.
Current attire: Red Pushers Collective X-Label Shoulder Tee X-Label Sweat Short Black, Pushers Collective Black Beanie, Black Nike running shoes 5.0 series, white Apple watch, and my usual platinum dog tag.
Music powered by 50 Cent, & Dr. Dre 9 Shots, Strong Enough, Patiently Waiting, New Day, I'm The Man Remix featuring Chris Brown, So Disrespectful & All in a Days Work by Dr.Dre (Compton Soundtrack )
Streaming service equipped with TIDAL (High Definition)
Current Mood: Hungry as sh*t. Just pulled into Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles and hyper-aggressive because #POWER is coming back to TV on 7/14. #KANANRETURNS. Streets are hungry to see his impact this year.
Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles is super busy on this late Saturday night. But it's to be expected the iconic restaurant is a hot spot for everyone from celebrities to your hardest drug dealer. I finally get seated towards the back, and it's perfect to start my article "America's Favorite Psycho: KANAN". I slide on my SMS Audio wireless headphones, open TIDAL and select the track "9 shots." Curtis "50" cent Jackson is a fantastic hood storyteller and revealed the birth of his character KANAN in the song "9 shots." The first verse gives me visions of riding shotgun with KANAN through Queens looking for GHOST.
I was innocent then, I ain’t do no wrong
She said, “you mommy little man, ” I said, “yep, uh huh”
She was everything to me, when she came, I just lit up
Sunday morning I was so sharp, all did up
It was welfare hustlin', they killed her for that
The first shot, bullet wound in my back
I’m fucked up, look at my sneakers, I’m fucked up
Now I’m on my own, mommy gone
Sam said, “you a young boy, why your clothes look so old?
You don’t need fish, little nigga, you need a pole
You don’t need no new kicks, you need an O”
Chop that, bag it, get right back at it
That touched me, it hit me in my heart
I’m a hustler, homie, you was giving me my start
I am what I am, Sabrina’s only baby
Practicing in the mirror, pulling out my .380
Oh man, I fucked up nana gonna kill me
Whenever shit can go wrong it always will
See, seven grams of cocaine, three grams of dope
Saint Mary medallion hanging from my rope
Try to punk me and my gun smoke
Look, I’m outta control, my gun go
Off like it’s legal, call the cops, you need to
Give ‘em my description, I ain’t bullshittin'
My high school sweetheart love didn’t last long
Niggas start flashing that bread and she was gone
That hurt me like the bullet in my calf then
My next girl was a pain in the ass
I got two shots left, in case niggas try to get me
That’s nine shots, we just call it fifty
I put this track on repeat, and my mind starts to paint visual pictures of KANAN for this article for Scrilla Guerilla Magazine. Before KANAN could ever develop real feelings and connect emotionally with the people around him they were gone. The mother is the first teacher of the child and the streets killed her before their relationship blossomed. KANAN was only eight years old, and his innocence was forever gone. KANAN never allowed himself to feel vulnerable again towards people. Few people can understand the magnitude of death, sorrow, and survival of the fittest at the tender age of eight years old. The street life adopted KANAN and designed the perfect sketch of an American psycho. "9 shots" is blaring through my headphones so loud, my lovely waitress tapped my shoulder and said are you ready to order? I apologized for the delayed response and ordered the "Obama Special." She said my order would be ready in about 10 minutes, and she inquired about what I was writing. I told her a full feature on KANAN, who stars in the hit show POWER. She lit up and said I would love to be his ride or die, girlfriend, he's the epitome of gangsta. I laughed and said that's my guy KANAN, and I told her I'd tell him you said hello. We both laughed, and I started back writing my KANAN article.
The Obama Special is my favorite item, and nothing compares to Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles! As I wait for my Uber driver to arrive, I switch my music selection to "Strong Enough" off the "Before I Self Destruct" album. Gladys Knight voice is so angelic and soulful at the beginning of the track, and 50 adds his signature fearless god-flow, and the track explodes thru my headphones. The lyrics reflect the gritty mentality of KANAN. I can visualize 50 cent in a black hoodie; blue Yankee fitted, black jeans, and G-Unit starring at his reflection with these lyrics racing through his mind.
I do more than talk that I mu'fuckin walk that
Blue Yankee cap back, fuck around get CLAPPED AT
I sleep with the stainless I walk with the stainless
Man everybody know about 50 I'm famous
New York New York!!!! I run New York!!!!
Ask Dread at the weed spot I come through in the mean drop
In different boroughs I have different moments
On different days niggas know how I'm on it
I'm pretty like a Harlem nigga, I'm a shooter like a Brooklyn nigga
I'm a hustler don't get no bigger
Queens, Southside 'til they bury me
BX two tek's, flames out the nozzles
R1 One wheel, Christian Dior goggles
Spare with me start some shit send the shooters out
Come out the club we out front with the Rugers out
Nah ain't no sense to talkin peace my brotha
That beef will probably send your monkey ass to see Allah
The Uber driver arrives, and I instruct her to drive me to the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. My driver is a very attractive black woman and we immediately engage in dialog. I told her to take the long route because I was currently entering into my writer's zone. I advanced her $50.00 for the extra time, and she smiled and said write a novel in my backseat. LOL. As we cruise through Los Angeles, I'm reflecting on the lyrics of "Strong Enough" and I realize KANAN is alive more than ever inside Curtis "50 cent" Jackson. KANAN's life, filled with obsessive pain, financial pursuit, calculated violence, and a kamikaze ending. KANAN's narcissistic personality fuels his passion for destruction and chaos towards anyone blocking his pathway to hedonism. Everything existing around KANAN is temporary from his street relationships and remaining family members. KANAN temperament is erratic, uncalculated, and supremely violent at all times.
The streets understand the mindset of KANAN and that's where he finds comfort and emotional balance. All humans need some form of balance and acceptance in their life. KANAN understands his journey requires a kill or be killed mentality at all times. KANAN never any personal attachments in his life after his mother passed. Producing a child in this world was the last thing he wanted. Having a child creates an emotional and personal vulnerability for the parent. KANAN knows the streets don't protect anyone; you must protect yourself from the streets. The incredible dynamic of the show POWER is Courtney Kemp Agboh (Co-Executive Producer) leverages the worst characteristics of a human and enables KANAN to execute them flawlessly. Imagine holding a gun to the face of your son and shooting him without hesitation and watching him bleed out to death. Welcome to the world of KANAN.
The show POWER enables KANAN to showcase to viewers real truth behind the mentality of the broken family cycle. KANAN rarely looks at his reflection because it reminds him of everything he's lost and will never find again. Surviving as a soulless human is a desperate, weak, and vulnerable existence. KANAN is the ultimate nemesis for GHOST on #POWER. KANAN operates like a piranha on the streets and GHOST knows he won't stop until he's dead or devoured it's target: GHOST. KANAN is the only character on television that has no filter, script, conscience, moral responsibility, and the Starz network has the winning formula. Viewers never know when and where KANAN will strike, which creates hysteria, paranoia, and fear. KANAN's lifestyle commands 24/7 attention to detail, and he has to remain mistake-free.
Curtis "50" Jackson is KANAN in every way which makes him perfect for this role. Curtis "50 cent" Jackson has created a phenomenon in #POWER because he's televising an ugly side of the street life in the most beautiful way possible. You can't imagine a drug-dealer taking time out to watch #Empire, but you can see your local drug deal-dealer watching #POWER. That's the unique advantage of the #POWER TV dynamic; it aligns three different worlds. The general American society, underworld, and corporate professionals crave #POWER, because it answers a curiosity in them all.
Curtis "50 cent" Jackson is a crazy motherfucker in general, which makes him a genius for creating a TV program which reflects the violent, dysfunctional, and strategic lifestyle he's maintained for over 30 years. Curtis "50 cent" Jackson is a controlled version of the Bishop character played by the late great Tupac Shakur. KANAN shadows Curtis Jackson everywhere he's going in life, and that will never change. However, Curtis Jackson understands when and where to unleash his alter ego "KANAN." I always go back to the lyrics in the song "9 Shots" when he says, "I am what I am, Sabrina’s only baby,Practicing in the mirror, pulling out my .380". That's a very chilling verse and cold reality of the other side of Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.
The Uber driver alerts me that we've have reached the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. I can't believe we've been driving around for over an hour! I asked for her name, and she said "Regina" and I said I'm Jonathan P-Wright. Regina told me "you mumble while you work, so I know your thoughts are deeply rooted within passion." I politely said thank you so much and exited the vehicle. As I walked away, she asked me one last question, "what are you going to name your article"? I turned around and said "KANAN: America's Favorite Psycho." She smiled and said I'm looking forward to reading your masterpiece, and I told her thanks for riding with me on the journey.
Jonathan P-Wright is one of the lead writers for Scrilla Guerillaz Magazine, SG Experience, and host of the Million Dollar Mindset Talk Show powered by RAIRADIO and TALKTOCHELYNN broadcast network. Check out interviews with actor from the hit show Power like actor Luis Ramos better known as Vibora "Ruiz" and Jerrel Wesly