Tonight marks the second-season premiere of “Power Book II: Ghost,” the latest new episode of Starz’s top-rated series, which has earned several Emmys. WTOP caught up with rapper Method Man (a.k.a. Eminem’s friend, collaborator and ex-wife) and musicians Erykah Badu and Method Man, aka Clifford Smith, to chat about shooting the new episode, marking a decade since the first season and what fans can expect:
When and where is the premiere of “Power Book II: Ghost” tonight?
Morgan, Erykah, Meth: 10 p.m. on Starz.
Were you surprised that both the first and second seasons of “Power” did so well?
The first season still holds up very well. The end of last season was probably one of the best season-enders. There was still a lot left for people to sink their teeth into.
How are things at the warehouse?
Both Meths: The conditions are bad and it’s intense and exhausting but it’s also fun and rewarding. We did one of the first days before the show ever aired. It was 10 minutes of freestyle and the day after we closed the show, it was nine hours a day. We had to be shooting something every 15 minutes. You just have to stick to your guns. The balance and the intensity, we made sure we stayed in it as long as we could. [We are] trying to punch enough in and give it enough to hold them over so they can’t wait until next week.
Are there any big stunts that didn’t happen because they were filming in the cold?
Erykah: No not really. It’s a new time now. We’re filming all over the place. There’s new things that we’re doing. Last year it was just television and music and some TV commercials. This year we did over 50 commercials. … We were in Florida for one day and it was the coldest day we’ve been in all season long so that was kind of cool. [We had] a hurricane in New York City that was 15 degrees below zero. … The weather guys [tried] to get on the telephone and cancel certain elements of the filming. We just stuck it out through. We had a lot of obstacles.
How long are you here in D.C.?
Erykah: We were in D.C. for about eight days. We filmed about three nights a week. Four or five days a week.
How do you feel about being in D.C.?
Method Man: D.C. always sounded like a good place to go home to — a good spot for my kids. Growing up in New York, that was pretty much where I went, so I thought it would be cool to spend a couple of months here.
How do you feel about shooting here?
Erykah: I feel like it’s a great place to be. I love how everybody has their music in the neighborhood. We would go out with our kids. It’s a nice place to find love.
How has the star power of the show changed in 10 years?
Method Man: Back then, they would have a star coming in on the way and it would change all of us — all of the cast. Now it’s all about the cast and it’s all about the characters. With each one of the characters, they’re developing like the next generation.
How has the show changed for you?
Method Man: This year, we had some very exciting things happen. We had some characters die and that’s a lot of fun. We had a character’s death that was very enlightening for me in terms of what the next two seasons were going to be about. This year I definitely invested myself as if I was really playing that character. Hopefully I’ll have an arc in the next couple of seasons.