*Power Book III: Raising Kanan is closing out its fifth and final season with bodies, betrayals, and power moves, but for Joey Bada$$, Unique’s final chapter is not just about survival. It is about wisdom.
The hit STARZ crime drama has taken Unique through one of the wildest arcs in the Power Universe. He has been up, down, presumed out, back in play and still somehow moving with the kind of charisma that keeps fans watching even when they know better. Speaking with EUR, Joey Bada$$ said Season 5 allowed him to explore what happens when a man who has been moving one way for so long finally takes a step back.
“I think it allowed me to explore the wisdom that comes from the journey,” Joey Bada$$ said. “We’ve been watching the character who’s been going one way for so long finally kind of have a moment where he stepped back and can put into perspective what’s taking place of his life, and finally decide what’s more important.”
That is a fascinating place for Unique because his appeal has never been built on predictability. He is stylish, slippery, dangerous and charming enough to talk himself into rooms most people would be dragged out of.
According to Joey Bada$$, that magnetic quality is a big part of why fans continue to stay locked in.
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“I think his charisma, I think his devilish charm, how he’s able to manipulate anybody and anything around him to get the outcome that he wants,” he said. “His unpredictability makes him a guy that you always want to watch, because you never know what he’s going to do next.”
Unique’s style has also been part of the character’s signature, and Joey Bada$$ said there is plenty of himself in that swagger.
“There’s a lot of Joey in that,” he said, explaining that some of his choices came from trusting his natural instincts as an actor. “Everybody’s going to wear the character differently because of what’s underneath that mask.”
The relationship worked both ways. While Joey brought pieces of himself into Unique, the character also pulled the artist back toward something familiar: the golden age of hip-hop.
“Unique really helped me reconnect with just my natural affinity that I’ve always had for the golden age,” Joey Bada$$ said, noting that the role brought him back to the boom bap and ’90s-inspired energy that helped define his early sound.
After everything Unique has been through, Joey Bada$$ said the final lesson is not about winning every round. It is about knowing when to choose a different path.
“You can always course correct,” he said. “No matter how destructive of the path you could be on, you could always course correct to a better one.”
Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 5 is available on STARZ, with new episodes streaming weekly on Fridays on the STARZ app and across STARZ streaming and on-demand platforms. Episodes also air Fridays at 8 PM ET/PT on STARZ.
Jill Munroe is a Los Angeles-bred entertainment journalist, producer, and host. Follow her socials @StilettoJill or visit JillMunroe.com. Catch her live M-Thu on KBLA Talk 1580 from 6PM to 7PM.
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