Mondo Unveils ‘Luke Cage season 2’ Vinyl Score from Ali Shaheed Muhammed and Adrian Younge

Mondo Music, in partnership with Marvel, announced today is the vinyl soundtrack to the second season of Netflix’s original series Marvel’s Luke Cage Season 2. The release comes on the heels of Mondo’s successful presentations of Netflix’s previous Marvel scores, including the stand out of the collection, Luke Cage season 1.

The score reunites composers Ali Shaheed Muhammed (of A Tribe Called Quest fame) and Adrian Younge, who has worked with the likes of Ghostface Killah, Jay-Z, Souls of Mischief, and more. Coinciding with today’s release of the Netflix series, the soundtrack comes complete with collectible artwork of the bulletproof defender by artist Sara Deck.

Muhammed and Younge’s work on the previous season featured some of the most vivid score work yet scene by a Netflix series, combining a wide range of influences from the world of traditional score, jazz, and hip hop to create a wildly unique and memorable musical experience.

For the second season, the composers desired to expand the sound and included a rhythm section and orchestra.  For the character Bushmaster (Cage’s nemesis), Muhammad and Younge created what they call “symphonic reggae” for his theme, blending the soul of reggae music with an orchestra.  Their inspirations for Season 2 included the films of Alfred Hitchcock and Mission Impossible, plus the television series Kojak, Baretta and The Incredible Hulk.

In addition to the score, the album also includes licensed tracks plus the song “King’s Paradise” performed in an episode by Rakim, regarded as one of the most influential MCs of all time.  The track was written by William Griffin, Younge and Muhammad.

Also featured in an episode is R&B singer Joi performing “Love You Forever Right Now,” a song she co-wrote with Marlon Cox and Gabrielle Dennis (Tilda Johnson) performing “Family First,” a song co-written by Younge, Muhammad and Dennis, with vocals produced by showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker.  The soundtrack also includes two covers by teen blues guitarist Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, “I Put a Spell on You,” and “The Thrill is Gone.” All songs were composed and produced by Younge and Muhammad.

As with the original score, the music of Luke Cage season 2 is almost a character in itself, becoming an indelible part of the show’s vibe and working hard to create texture and reality in a world as fantastic as the MCU.

Coker says, “The music selection and the sequencing is a labor of love, and is one of the most important things I do as showrunner of this show. I love the fact that all of musical sensibilities meld with our storytelling and dramatic desires as a writer’s room, cast, and production crew. I get to be both John Wells and Quincy Jones.”

Score hounds, Marvel fiends, and vinyl lovers can order the album now from mondotees.com. As with every Mondo release, much care has been given in both the music transfer and the overall presentation of the release, making it a beautiful and necessary addition to your vinyl collection. You can order the album here.

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