Following up from last weekend’s release of Luke Cage on Netflix, Marvel is set to release the digital soundtrack for the show on Oct. 7. The album will feature an original score influenced by artists like the Wu-Tang Clan, David Axelrod, and A Tribe Called Quest. It will also feature Method Man’s “Bulletproof Love” which is featured on the show.
Luke Cage, the bulletproof black action hero has introduced a completely unique approach for Marvel superhero content. The show’s Harlem-based setting is emphasized by the sounds of funk, hip-hop and soul that we hear throughout the episodes, which include live performances from Faith Evans, Raphael Saadiq, and Jidenna.
Show composer Ali Shaheed Muhammad spoke with OkayPlayer about making the soundtrack with co-composer Adrian Younge:
Adrian and I, we wanted to really make the music stand out to wholly support the dynamic aspect of Luke Cage and everybody else. We wanted to make a huge statement with the music and the score, and really wanted it to stand out as something that no one has ever heard for television.”
“What we thought to do with the music was to capture the vibe and feeling [showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker] wanted Luke Cage to feel like to the audience,” Younge added. “Cheo would also give us references like ‘Yo, we want this to be like Marvin Gaye’s ‘Trouble Man’ or Wu-Tang Clan’s ‘The 4th Chamber.’ And we’d say ‘Ok, let’s go.’ It’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had composing.”
“Everything that we did we wanted to make a statement, so we looked to our heroes: Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, Marvin Gaye and Ennio Morricone,” Muhammad said. “Just really make something that spoke to the character and the movement of the artwork. Luke Cage being a product of the blaxploitation period, there’s certain elements in blaxploitation music that you want to make sure are there. So we kind of dipped into that paint a little bit.”