With the recent trend of big budget comic book movies and television shows that focus on superheroes, it's understandable that those of you who aren't comic fanboys (and girls) would feel a little fatigued. But if you happen to be a music lover — and particularly a lover of hip hop, R&B and soul — then we strongly suggest that you don't pass up Netflix's latest Marvel offering Luke Cage. Based on the longstanding Marvel Comics superhero, the series follows the title character (who is played by the perfectly cast Mike Colter) as he takes back the streets of his Harlem neighborhood. But it's not just the promise of kick-ass action and feats of heroism that has us psyched.
Luke Cage also boasts some major music-related elements that have us anxious to see how they'll unfold. For starters, showrunner Cheo Hadari Coker has revealed that each episode will be named after a Gang Starr song, going as far as listing a few of them on his Twitter account. As if that weren't enough, A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge were both brought on to co-score the series. But wait, there's more. On top of that already impressive pedigree, according to Vulture, the series will also welcome guests Faith Evans, Raphael Saadiq, Jidenna, Charles Bradley and more as performers at Harlem's Paradise, the fictional club owned by the series' main antagonist, Cottonmouth (Mahershala Ali). Sounds like this one will be one to watch.
Luke Cage, which will also feature actresses Rosario Dawson and Alfre Woodard, will bow September 30th on Netflix. Get into the series' official trailer (which gives a nod to Ol' Dirty Bastard) below.