The former hip-hop journalist Cheo Hodari Coker sat down with EBONY to discuss his past career and what it is like as the current showrunner for Netflix and Marvel’s Luke Cage.

After revealing a tip on how to get someone comfortable during an interview, Coker talked about the upcoming second season of Luke Cage. When asked why the series does not water down authentic representations of New York City and its Caribbean culture, he says, “we don’t make anything palatable, we just go for it… because that’s what it’s like in Brooklyn.”
Drawing comparisons between hip-hop’s reggae roots, Wu-Tang’s music and  HBO’s The Wire, Coker says there’s importance and value when you present things as they are for both those individuals living the culture and those outside of it.
Watch the clip above to hear his explanation in full. Season two of Luke Cage hits Netflix on June 22.