Boxcar Sessions

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.

Boxcar Sessions
Studio album by Saafir
Released	1994
Recorded	1993–94
Studio	Pajama Recording Studios (Oakland, CA)
Genre	West Coast hip hop
Length	58:38
Label	Qwest/Reprise/Warner Bros. 45602
Producer	Saafir (exec.) Sleuth (exec.) Big Nose DJ Jay-Z J Groove
Saafir chronology
Boxcar Sessions (1994) Trigonometry (1998)
Singles from Boxcar Sessions
"Light Sleeper" Released: June 30, 1994 "Just Riden'" Released: February 7, 1995

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
RapReviews	7.5/10[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.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Grab the Train"	Reggie Gibson Jeremy Jackson	J-Z	1:21
2.	"Swig of the Stew"	Gibson Jackson	J-Z	3:58
3.	"Poke Martian"	Henry Norris Jackson	J-Z	0:52
4.	"Playa Hayta"	Gibson James Carson	J Groove	3:36
5.	"Pee Wee"	Jackson	J-Z	2:50
6.	"Battle Drill"	Gibson Carson	J Groove	3:58
7.	"Westside" (featuring King Saan)			1:05
8.	"Worship the "D""	Gibson Jackson	J-Z	4:05
9.	"Light Sleeper"	Gibson Jackson	J-Z	3:28
10.	"Rashinet"	Rick Trammell Ty Alston	Big Nous	1:34
11.	"Can U Feel Me?"	Gibson Jackson	J-Z	3:50
12.	"No Return (Goin' Crazy)"	Gibson Jackson	J-Z	4:34
13.	"Big Nose"	Alston	Big Nous	3:28
14.	"Just Riden'"	Gibson Jackson	J-Z	3:39
15.	"Hype Shit"	Gibson Carson K-Top	J Groove	2:53
16.	"Real Circus"	Gibson Jackson	J-Z	4:12
17.	"Bent"	Gibson Carson R. Sharper	J Groove	4:29
18.	"The Instructor"	Gibson Jackson	J-Z	0:45
19.	"Joint Custody"	Gibson Carson	J Groove	4:01
Total length:				58:38

Personnel

• 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

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.

External links

• Saafir – Boxcar Sessions at Discogs (list of releases)