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Boxcar Sessions

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Boxcar Sessions
Studio album by
Released1994
Recorded1993–94
StudioPajama Recording Studios (Oakland, CA)
GenreWest Coast hip hop
Length58:38
LabelQwest/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.

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[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

[edit]
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"
  • Henry 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

[edit]
  • Reggie "Saafir" Gibson — vocals, mixing (tracks: 3, 4, 8, 9, 12, 15-19), executive producer
  • H. "Poke Martian" Norris — vocals (track 3)
  • Hasaan "King Saan" Mahmoud — vocals (track 7)
  • Rick "Rashinel" Trammell — vocals & mixing (track 10)
  • Ty "Big Nous" Alston — vocals (track 13), producer & mixing (tracks: 10, 13)
  • Jeremy "Jay-Z" Jackson — producer & mixing (tracks: 1-3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18)
  • James "J Groove" Carson — producer (tracks: 4, 6, 15, 17, 19), mixing (tracks: 4, 17, 19)
  • Crayge Lindesay — engineering
  • Brian "Big Bass" Gardner — mastering
  • Neil "Sleuth" Johnson — executive producer, management
  • Kevin Hosmann — art direction
  • Victor Hall — photography

References

[edit]
  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.
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