Since the announcement that Marvel would be creating a series based on its character, Luke Cage, excitement for it has only grown. The show, about the hero with impenetrable skin and superhuman strength, is steeped in Hip-Hop, particularly that of the 90s vintage. It is helmed by Cheo Hodari Coker, whose journalistic roots extend back to that era, when he wrote for VIBE, Rolling Stone, Spin and several other publications, including extensive pieces on The Notorious B.I.G. His knowledge of Biggie would enable him to write the screenplay for biopic Notorious decades later. The series also will be scored by A Tribe Called Quest’s Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge, who has worked with PRhyme, Ghostface Killah, Souls Of Mischief and more. Additionally, each episode will bear the title of a Gang Starr song.

Episodes Of Marvel’s Luke Cage Series Will Be Named After Gang Starr Songs

Rather than the original 70s comics, Coker tells Empire that, like the recent Netflix series Jessica Jones, in which the current Cage character was introduced, the show draws inspiration from Brian Michael Bendis’ graphic-novel series Alias. “I grew up reading [Luke Cage comics],” says Coker, “but there were very few times that character had the opportunity to be philosophical, or live in the real world. That was the one thing I really liked about Brian’s update of the character.” He continued, “What Marvel didn’t want [as showrunner] is the fanboy that says, ‘Luke can only wear yellow!’ They wanted somebody who was gonna respect the evolution of the character, but at the same time flex it and tweak it in their own special way.” In speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Coker provided even more details about his vision for the show, making a weighty comparison. “We have a lot of different musical appearances, but at the same time, we’ve got the Marvel action. We’ve got drama. I would like this to be, I mean, I know this is heavy but, The Wire of Marvel television, because we really deal with a lot of different issues.”

While there have been a number of teasers giving sneak peeks at the show, Netflix has now released the full trailer, and it appears to deliver on the promise. The grittiness and Hip-Hop ethos are there, and Cage’s ambivalence about his calling is well-established. There are even multiple appearances by Biggie. In an age where many Black men have come under fire, from police and each other, there is an undeniable power in seeing a strong Black man who is literally bullet proof.