If you’ve got a thing for vinyl records and are a fan of Luke Cage, then the stars have aligned for you. Marvel’s newest Netflix series houses a seriously powerful soundtrack, and it will soon be available in a limited edition vinyl release.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Mondo will be the retailer behind the the vinyl release. The special package will come with collectible artwork from Matthew Woodson. The artist created a concept art sketch of Luke Cage wearing his black-and-yellow hoodie, and the hero can be seen wearing a pair of red headphones. The image also shows Luke as bullets ping off his invulnerable body, and to the left-hand side, an informational side-bar about the soundtrack.
Composers Adrian Yonge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad are the duo who produced the eclectic hip-hop soundtrack. By blending together the best of 90s rap and lyrical bars, the pair created a record that’s been praised by both fans and critics.
“We sought to create a score that reflects the world of Luke Cage. We see this world as a place where classic cinema meets classic Hip Hop,” the composers explained.
When it comes to Luke Cage, its soundtrack has been supremely important. The music differentiates the series from its predecessors as it uses hip-hop to tonally convey information about the show and its heroes. Luke Cage‘s musical footprint is more than a ‘Greatest Tracks of the 90s’ compilation but instead a carefully created imprint of Power Man’s inner self.
In a recent featurette, Yonge described how Ali and he created the stellar soundtrack. “From a musical perspective, Ali and I look at this as we’re creating 13 albums, know what I’m saying? It’s 13 episodes like 13 albums.”
“We have music that is inspired by A Tribe Called Quest but at the same time inspired by Wu, and Ennio Morricone, and we all came together and said that we all wanted to make something great. Not just for black people or minorities, just something great, that just happens to be based on our culture. It was one of those things where I was like yo, we have a chance to make history here.”
Showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker also spoke about the decision to title each episode of Luke Cage after a Gang Starr track in the clip as well.
“All the episodes are named after different Gang Starr songs, so like this one is Soliloquy of Chaos, the first one is Moment of Truth, I mean, it’s all kind of influenced like that. One of the things I was explaining is like the speed of Hip Hop. It happens at the speed of thought so if you really ran into Luke, and then all of a sudden, boom, there’s gonna be a beat. That’s all it takes.”
If there was anyone capable of bringing hip-hop to Luke Cage, then it is Coker. ComicBook.com’s Amy Awesome wrote a feature piece about why fans should be hyped about Luke Cage‘s soundtrack and described Coker as a “hip hop legend.”
“[Coker] began his career as an acclaimed music journalist with the LA Times, Spin Magazine, Rolling Stone, and of course VIBE. He was one of the only journalists to become personal friends with rap legend Christopher Wallace (Biggie Smalls) and was the first on the horrific scene of his prolific murder.”
“In other words, if anyone is capable of properly introducing Luke Cage (a bulletproof black man) and highlighting hip hop culture in a world of predominately white superheroes, it’s Cheo Hodari Coker. He promises that the series will not be “playing it safe.”
If you’re interested in buying the vinyl edition, it will run you $35 and go on sale Friday, October 7. The soundtrack will also go on sale at digital retailers and streaming services that day.
[H/T] Mondo
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