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
Run the Jewels 2 cover

Run the Jewels 2

Run the Jewels
Alone Together cover

Alone Together

Karriem Riggins
Some Rap Songs cover

Some Rap Songs

Earl Sweatshirt
Bellringer cover

Bellringer

Linqua Franqa
10 cover

10

Westside Gunn
Put Ya Boots On cover

Put Ya Boots On

Double XX Posse
Runaway Slave cover

Runaway Slave

Showbiz & A.G.