Ever since the very first teaser trailer debuted at the end of Daredevil season 2, it’s been clear that Luke Cage’s Netflix series would carry a strong hip hop presence. Without a doubt, the moment Nas’ “Made You Look” played and during the second trailer when Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya“, this soundtrack was going to be one of the best yet. It’s not very often you get to hear hip hop infused with comic book films or television series, so when something like this comes around, it really a beautiful thing, especially for a comic book loving, old school hip hop aficionado like myself.
Netflix has revealed part one of the Marvel’s Luke Cage Street Level Hero social video series. These digital videos look to blend fiction with history by taking audiences behind the curtain on the themes that give the show it’s street-level authenticity and cultural relevance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVmcur3INOE
The clip goes through the process on constructing the perfect soundtrack for Luke Cage. Known Comic Book fan and Wu-Tang’s finest, Method Man (aka Johnny Blaze) makes an appearance in the video to share his thoughts on the soundtrack, “Marvel has always had its finger on the pulse of pop culture and this right here is taking it even further.”
Showrunner, Cheo Hodari Coker on naming each of the episodes, “All the episodes are named after Gang Starr songs, so this one is “Soliloquy of Chaos”, first one is “Moment of Truth”, it’s all kind of influenced like that.”
“One of the things I was explaining is the speed of hip-hop.” He continues, “It happens at the speed of thought. So if you really ran into Luke, and then boom, there’s going to be a beat. That’s all it takes.”
I’m excited to see what other hip hop elements they have incorporated into the series. One of the best parts of the previous trailer was when Cottonmouth is standing in front of a portrait of Notorious B.I.G. and says “Everybody wants to be the king.”
I’m just saying right now, It’s a missed opportunity if Nas’ “The World is Yours” or GZA’s “Shadowboxin'” isn’t somewhere in the series.
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After a sabotaged experiment leaves him with super strength and unbreakable skin, Luke Cage becomes a fugitive trying to rebuild his life in modern-day Harlem, New York City. But he is soon pulled out of the shadows and must fight a battle for the heart of his city-forcing him to confront a past he had tried to bury.
Luke Cage hits Netflix on September 30th.