When Marvel dropped the ODB-infused teaser trailer for "Luke Cage" in July, fans got a glimpse of the show's distinctly hip-hop vibe. But showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker took it a step further, teasing that every episode of Netflix's superhero show would feature a title inspired by legendary New York rap duo Gang Starr.
Over the past few months, Coker made good on that teaser, periodically tweeting out songs from classic Gang Starr albums like "Moment of Truth," "Step in the Arena," and "Hard to Earn," finishing up earlier this month by revealing the final episode title.
THIRTEEN: You Know My Steezhttps://t.co/3EkjbkHYrD
— Cheo Hodari Coker (@cheo_coker) September 2, 2016
Nice to reveal titles that have been on a whiteboard since November of 2014. 28 more days until you see the results.
— Cheo Hodari Coker (@cheo_coker) September 2, 2016
Below, you can listen to each song Coker chose for the 13 episodes of "Luke Cage," in one playlist.
►READ MORE: 'Luke Cage' Fights to Save Harlem in Trailer for New Netflix Series
Although the late rapper Guru is originally from Boston, while DJ Premier was born in Houston, the two came together in New York in the 1990s and released six albums over 14 years that helped define the New York rap sound.
While hip-hop radio in the 1990s was defined by aggressive lyrics and "east versus west" feuds, Gang Starr bucked that trend. In its write-up of the top 50 "Lyrical Leaders" in hip-hop history, the Source wrote, "Guru poured substance and positivity into his music. Over the smooth production of DJ Premier, Guru dropped some of the most thoughtful rhymes on wax. His knack for introspective, measured, thoughtful wordplay always made listeners stop and think." (Guru was ranked No. 30 on that list, ahead of hip-hop luminaries like Method Man, GZA and Kanye West.)
Guru died of cancer on April 19, 2010, at the age of 48, prompting a collective mourning in the New York hip-hop community. That afternoon, Hot 97 DJ Mister Cee played an hour-long tribute to the rapper featuring songs spanning his 20-year Gang Starr and solo career.
For those familiar with Coker's work, the homage is probably not too much of a surprise: Besides being a filmmaker, Coker is also a hip-hop music journalist, and authored the book "Unbelievable: The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G." in 2003.
#FlashbackFriday #OneOfTheBestYet #RIPGuru pic.twitter.com/TwqRV8xmt5
— DJ Premier (@REALDJPREMIER) July 29, 2016
