The Student Playlist

Showcasing the Best New Music, Curating the Classics

Tag Def Jam

CLASSIC ’10s: Kanye West – ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’

Kanye West’s endlessly eclectic and inventive magnum opus, 2010’s ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ continues to influence new artists and silence his critics a decade later.

REVIEW: Alessia Cara – ‘The Pains Of Growing’ (Def Jam / UMG)

‘The Pains Of Growing’ is a comforting, well-written and executed pop record, but stylistically it still keeps you wondering what exactly Alessia Cara’s sound is.

REVIEW: Vince Staples – ‘FM!’ (Def Jam / Universal)

An exhilarating 22-minute blast of bizarre and inventive fun, ‘FM!’ might be a detour in the journey of Vince Staples but shows exactly what music ought to be in 2018.

REVIEW: Kids See Ghosts – ‘KIDS SEE GHOSTS’ (GOOD / Def Jam)

On ‘Kids See Ghosts’, Kanye West and Kid Cudi find in each other the perfect creative foil – Cudi setting the mood and bringing lyrical honesty, while West provides the edge with his verses and ingenious sampling.

REVIEW: Vince Staples – ‘Big Fish Theory’ (Def Jam / Universal)

With ‘Big Fish Theory’, Vince Staples explores hip-hop’s historic love affair with dance and electronica on a polished, highly enjoyable album.

REVIEW: Common – ‘Black America Again’ (ARTium / Def Jam)

Strong, old-school production and tireless verses will remind you why Common has outlasted so many other rappers on the scene.

REVIEW: Frank Ocean – ‘Blonde’ (Boys Don’t Cry / Def Jam)

This year we’ve had records from Beyoncé, Radiohead, Kanye West etc. but in the midst of the global icons, a superstar introvert has released the most important album of the year and his second masterpiece in a row.

REVIEW: Kanye West – ‘The Life Of Pablo’ (GOOD / Def Jam)

by John Tindale When the most divisive man on the planet announced he was going to be releasing a seventh studio album in 2013, a mere five months after the release of the almost-experimental Yeezus, many heads were turned. Now two and a half years and no fewer than three title changes later, The Life Of Pablo has finally arrived and the media storm with it. Part of Kanye West’s brilliance is

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