Pardi Fontaine’s B-Rilla is one of the standout Season 4 characters of the gritty Southside Queens drama Power Book III: Raising Kanan. In an exclusive interview with BeatsBoxingMayhem, the hitmaking rapper-turned-actor broke down B-Rilla’s mindset with music mentor Lou Thomas (Malcolm May), saying, “He understands the opportunity he’s been given, but he faces his own dilemma of his timeline… he needs things to happen.”
Fontaine further explained that B-Rilla, fresh from a prison stint on armed robbery charges, is caught between trying to play it straight and the pressure of survival. “He needs a place to stay. He needs some money. He needs to take care of his family… he’s a person that operates at ‘I need [to see] results.’”
Of course, one of the biggest cliffhangers in Raising Kanan Season 4 is what really happened to Famous (Antonio Ortiz). When asked about the mysterious death, Fontaine admitted, “I’m not even sure. I just didn’t know what happened to him. From reading the script I had no idea what happened.” His coy response only adds fuel to fan theories flooding social media, and opens the door to speculating whether B-Rilla could be connected or if another classic Power twist is underway.
As for who B-Rilla would vibe with if he were really in the rap game during the 90s? Fontaine had no hesitation.
“I think for sure, being from Upstate [New York] and knowing how Upstate operates, I think he would’ve been cool with a lot of the Wu-Tang guys,” he said.
He also named DMX and Busta Rhymes as artists B-Rilla would align with, blending intensity with creativity.
“DMX is a personal favorite… and I also see a young Busta Rhymes—they would’ve hit it off creatively.”
Listen to Pardi Fontaine’s entire interview below. Subscribe to the BeatsBoxingMayhem YouTube for exclusive Raising Kanan weekly breakdowns, interviews and theories throughout Season 4.
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