Luke Cage May Have The Best Hip-Hop Soundtrack on Netflix

Have you seen Luke Cage on Netflix? That’s ok, it’s just been released, but hurry up we’re bursting to share the awesomeness with you guys.

Here’s a quick reminder of what’s in store for you:

Marvel’s Luke Cage has finally found a solo spotlight on Netflix and the soundtrack has hip hop fans rejoicing around the world. The soundtrack has been carefully selected by producer Adrian Younge (Ghostface Killah, Souls of Mischief) and Ali Shaheed Muhammed from A Tribe Called Quest and it’s quite frankly killing it. From Faith Evans to Charles Bradley and Method Man, ‘Luke Cage’ pays tribute to the era that took hip hop to new heights and the legends of African American music like Nina Simone and John Lee Hooker. You can see that music’s key to this series with every episode named after or inspired by a Gang Starr song or hip hop track.

The soundtrack hails its hero

Although Netflix rarely takes political stances the invincible black hero has emerged as a new and involuntary role model amidst the racial tensions running high in America. In truth, Netflix has only picked up the baton from Marvel Comics who introduced Luke Cage to the general public for the first time in 1972 just after the civil rights movement. Cage has been considered the embodiment of the protest against racism long before Netflix even signed the rights. Showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker doesn’t deny his support to the cause either stating, “Heroes can wear hoodies too”. So Is Luke Cage the new emblem of the #BlackLivesMatter movement? Only time will tell, but you can definitely read something into the idea that heroes are often the reflection of our times, and the ideals people cling onto in times of uncertainty.

The original “Star Wars” film for instance drew an obvious parallel with the Vietnam War with its bold rebels taking on a dark superpower. A heroic story was told, the world fell in love with Han Solo, crowds flocked to the cinema seeking solace and suddenly the future didn’t seem so bleak. Marvel tells a story like no other and knows we look to a hero in uncertain times because the hero always answers the call. ‘Luke Cage’ and its soundtrack may just be the the heroes 2016 desperately needs.

Listen to the playlist here: