Boxcar Sessions

Last updated
Boxcar Sessions
Boxcar Sessions.jpg
Studio album by
Released1994
Recorded1993–94
StudioPajama Recording Studios (Oakland, CA)
Genre West Coast hip hop
Length58:38
Label Qwest/Reprise/Warner Bros. Records
45602
Producer
Saafir chronology
Boxcar Sessions
(1994)
Trigonometry
(1998)
Singles from Boxcar Sessions
  1. "Light Sleeper"
    Released: June 30, 1994
  2. "Just Riden'"
    Released: February 7, 1995

Boxcar Sessions is the debut studio album by American rapper Saafir. [1] [2] It was released in 1994 via Qwest Records. [3] The recording sessions took place at Pajama Recording Studios in Oakland, California. The production was handled by DJ Jay-Z, J Groove and Big Nose, with Sleuth and Saafir serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from Big Nous, King Saan, Poke Martian and Rashinel.

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
RapReviews7.5/10 [5]

Trouser Press wrote that the album "has promisingly jazz-flecked beats and a pleasant flow, but the rapper’s lyrics are hollow, crude and obnoxious." [6]

Alex Henderson of AllMusic compared Saafir's musical style favorably to such celebrated hip hop artists as A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Digable Planets, and the Pharcyde. Henderson stated that "between Saafir's rapping style and the jazzy production, Boxcar Sessions is fairly fresh sounding."

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Grab the Train"
J-Z1:21
2."Swig of the Stew"
  • Gibson
  • Jackson
J-Z3:58
3."Poke Martian"
  • H. Norris
  • Jackson
J-Z0:52
4."Playa Hayta"
  • Gibson
  • James Carson
J Groove3:36
5."Pee Wee"JacksonJ-Z2:50
6."Battle Drill"
  • Gibson
  • Carson
J Groove3:58
7."Westside" (featuring King Saan)  1:05
8."Worship the "D""
  • Gibson
  • Jackson
J-Z4:05
9."Light Sleeper"
  • Gibson
  • Jackson
J-Z3:28
10."Rashinet"
  • Rick Trammell
  • Ty Alston
Big Nous1:34
11."Can U Feel Me?"
  • Gibson
  • Jackson
J-Z3:50
12."No Return (Goin' Crazy)"
  • Gibson
  • Jackson
J-Z4:34
13."Big Nose"AlstonBig Nous3:28
14."Just Riden'"
  • Gibson
  • Jackson
J-Z3:39
15."Hype Shit"
  • Gibson
  • Carson
  • K-Top
J Groove2:53
16."Real Circus"
  • Gibson
  • Jackson
J-Z4:12
17."Bent"
  • Gibson
  • Carson
  • R. Sharper
J Groove4:29
18."The Instructor"
  • Gibson
  • Jackson
J-Z0:45
19."Joint Custody"
  • Gibson
  • Carson
J Groove4:01
Total length:58:38

Personnel

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References

  1. Thompson, Jerry; Deterville, Duane (2007). Black Artists in Oakland. Arcadia Pub. p. 120.
  2. Shapiro, Peter (2001). The Rough Guide to Hip Hop. Rough Guides. p. 155.
  3. Pope, Lavar (2020). Rap and Politics: A Case Study of Panther, Gangster, and Hyphy Discourses in Oakland, CA (1965-2010). Springer Nature. p. 303.
  4. Henderson, Alex. "Saafir - Boxcar Sessions Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  5. Jost, Matt (June 2, 2015). "Saafir :: Boxcar Sessions – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  6. "Digital Underground". Trouser Press. Retrieved 26 August 2023.