Those who have seen at least a few episodes of Marvel’s Luke Cage series know the importance of Pop’s swear jar, but according to showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker it also served a second more covert purpose.
Coker explained the reason for the item’s inclusion on Twitter, and it was all a play to get a certain musical icon to guest on the show.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The “Swear Jar” was for Prince. I was going to show him the first two episodes and convince him to play in episode 13.
— Cheo Hodari Coker (@cheo_coker) October 5, 2016
“The “Swear Jar” was for Prince. I was going to show him the first two episodes and convince him to play in episode 13.”
Cornell Stokes features a number of talented artists at his Harlem’s Paradise club throughout the season but having Prince grace the stage would have been amazing. Unfortunately, the icon passed away on April 21st at his Paisley Park estate. Paisley Park was actually the inspiration for the jar in the first place, as Prince was known to fine swearers up to $20 for each curse word. Prince was a devoted Jehovah’s Witness, and also made sure that his estate was a meat free zone.
For Coker, Luke Cage is just one piece of a larger movement and one that he can proudly stand behind.
“This is a cultural moment. It’s the first time you’ve seen television from a black perspective on black terms. Shows like Luke Cage, Queen Sugar, Atlanta, Insecure—we’re all making black-themed entertainment on our terms, backed by major white companies who see the merits of saying, ‘Let’s see it unadulterated.’ That’s why with Luke Cage, we’re going for broke in everything we do.”
Luke Cage is available now on Netflix.
