Boxcar Sessions cover

Boxcar Sessions

Released

Oakland’s entry into pure boom bap, Boxcar Sessions should be as big as Illmatic. The album starts off with the Skull Snaps getting chopped and goes from there—it’s part of the cohort for sure. Confusingly, Saafir’s producer is named Jay-Z, but it’s a different Jay-Z. Saafir has a deep, precise voice and a toolbox of flows and upright bass samples, too. A genuinely great album.

Sasha Frere-Jones

Suggestions
Fair Exchange No Robbery cover

Fair Exchange No Robbery

Boldy James, Nicholas Craven
Black Sunday cover

Black Sunday

Cypress Hill
Hard to Earn cover

Hard to Earn

Gang Starr
Sour Soul cover

Sour Soul

Ghostface Killah, BADBADNOTGOOD
Herbert cover

Herbert

Ab-Soul
Prima Donna cover

Prima Donna

Vince Staples