Over the last 20 years or so, contemporary, mainstream hip-hop and R&B have increasingly become glitzy, slickly produced and club-rocking – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There’s as much a place for shaking your ass, as there is for conscious hip-hop and raw street hip-hop; the only difference to me is that mainstream radio doesn’t allow for the variety of artists and sounds to coexist as they once did. I can’t imagine the self-professed home of all things hip-hop, Hot 97 playing the likes of Public Enemy, Common, Immortal Technique and Brother Ali with the likes of Kanye, Jay Z, Nas and, Lil’ Wayne or Guilty SImpson, Strong Arm Steady and Freddie Gibbs. 

“Tribe” feat. Jesse Boykins III is the first single off the Brooklyn-based Theophilus London’s forthcoming new album VIBES and it’s probably the most straightforward club-banging song he’s done to date. Expect room-rocking bass, undulating synths and a swagger that would make Kanye blush. If I were DJ’ing at a large club, I’d spin this at some point but i’m curious what do you guys think?