Raw Like Sushi
Neneh Cherry
1989
Album Summary
Raw Like Sushi is the debut studio album by Swedish musician Neneh Cherry, released 5 June 1989 by Virgin Records. The album includes the commercially successful single "Buffalo Stance".
WikipediaNeneh Cherry should have been HUGE. Buffalo Stance was, and is, huge because Buffalo Stance is a 5. Nenah was ahead of her time because damn does album still have it all. To paraphrase a lyric from "Love Ghetto", she hit a home run. Actual rating is a 4.5. All of the songs are good, they all just pale in comparison to the magic of Buffalo Stance.
Some of the song material is very specific. For example, not sure how I feel about the procreation anthem of "The Future Generation". Still, it's got great energy and Neneh shows she can hold her own lyrically. Does sound pretty dated though (I can pinpoint what year this was made, same with "Pretty Hate Machine"). Favorite tracks: "Buffalo Stance", "Inna City Mama"
Great album, confident and fresh and smart, making it OK to like hip hop when you are a metaller
Oh! This album was on heavy rotation when I was a teenager. I always loved the attitude and the swagger. And I realise now that this album influenced so many of my future explorations in music (soul, jazz, hip hop). I don’t think anyone else was making music like this and the album was a wrecking ball to the charts - all those ballads and Kylie, Stock, Aitken and Waterman. She sang about subjects nobody else was - feminism, safe sex, motherhood - not a bunch of lovey dove nonsense. I really think Neneh Cherry is a hugely inspirational and influential figure - sassy, London/ European / American, kick ass, feeling, mixed heritage and proud - a great singer and classy rapper. Incredibly talented and underrated. I hesitated when rating the album - if I give this album five stars, am I really saying this album is up there with the White Album or Hunky Dory? You know what? I don’t know. And I don’t care. This is five stars for me. I love this album.
Started strong with a nice bop. Not a fan of the middle part of manchild. Surprised by how much I liked phoney ladies. I actually liked a lot of this album. Pleasant surprise. 4/5 I listened a second time, it gets up to a cool 5 because I felt good about it. I'm still thinking about this album the next morning. Wow
Damn what a trailblazer. Watched her Buffalo Stance performance she did on Top of the Pops while pregnant, what a badass.
1/28 Great, eclectic 80s genre-mix of an album. Standout Tracks: Buffalo Stance, Inna City Momma, The Next Generation, Phoney Ladies, Outré Risqué Locomotive
Cool late 80s vibes. Hear a lot of things that would shape early 90s hip hop. Definitely her own style. Should come back to this one
pretty iconic 80s dance music, some songs were a bit dragged out and didn’t have a great sound listening 40 years later, but a really clean classic funky hip hop sound that makes ya wanna dance ;)
this album was surprisingly good! lot of catchy songs, and the beats had me moving through the entire album
Un disco muy chill, fluye bien, me gustaron mucho algunos beats, sus sintetizadores. Me dio toda una vibra janetjacksonesca e incluso, ya hacia el final, en el Sukka mix de "Buffalo Stance" se oye algo como "Does this sound like Janet Jackson?". Diría que este es un álbum que sí se quedó mucho en vibras ochenteras, pero no lo escucho anticuado. Es hip-hop poposo, con algunas salpicadas de crítica social, "Buffalo Stance" es una muy buena canción, también "The Next Generation" y "So Here I Come" me gustaron; he de aceptar que me dio un poco de risa el español en "Kisses On the Wind". 8/10
Again, it was good but songs were long and the album didn’t really feel like it needed to be an album. 7
Another 7 where I considered an 8, but I just can't see myself ever wanting to relisten to this even though it was pretty fun the first time.
Pop, rap, freestyle, funk, destellos de house, breakbeat. Pensaba que iba a estar ya muy passé la producción, pero incluso en los momentos más aywey tiene mucho charm. Grande por lo que representó, pero también grande porque tiene buenas rolas.
in a normal situation, I don't know if I would have enjoyed it as much, but I was vibing this shiiiit
My immediate reaction was to file this under the most 80s pop ass 80s pop ever, but despite its pervasive radio-friendliness, it really belongs in its own niche nestled somewhere between Salt-N-Pepa and Massive Attack. There are moments where the lyricism feels as of its time as the delightfully dated synths, but Cherry comes across emphatically on the microphone be it rapping or singing, exuding a confidence that most MCs would kill to have. My only real knock against it is the thematic redundancy that stands out listening to these songs back-to-back: there's a three-track stretch after the opening singles that all tread in the same youth/parenthood waters, and it probably would have been better off spread out a bit more. Key Tracks: Buffalo Stance, Manchild, Outré Risqué Locomotive
Sounds great, my kind of thing. I didn’t know how varied her music is, and different from the radio hits Manchild, Woman and 7 Seconds.
Buffalo stance...wow so good. Such a fun vibe, this chick can rap and her confidence oozes.
Love this album. Eminently danceable. And thought provoking. This album got me through that summer. 4.5.
Disc d'estrena d'alta volada, començant amb 'Buffalo Stance' i 'Manchild', les dues millors cançons del disc i del millor de l'r&b de finals dels 80. També destaquen 'Inna City Mamma', 'Love Ghetto' o 'Phoney Ladies', però sobretot l'actitud i personalitat de Neneh Cherry, que ja no va poder igualar aquesta fita (fins al 2021 com a mínim), però aquí la seva estrella brilla amb molta força
This is kind of like a female inversion of Beastie Boys MCing, in the best possible way. This was a lot of fun to listen to, provocative and tongue in cheek the whole way through
Salt 'N Pepa meets Prince?! Hell yeah. The sound is definitely of it's time, but we all need some cheesy hip hop in our lives! My top pick is of course 'Buffalo Stance' but I also really liked 'Manchild', 'Love Ghetto'. and 'Outré Risqué Locomotive'. This is more of a 4.5 - I think a 10 star scale would be better!
What's 'e like? WHAT IS 'E LIKE? Buffalo Stance is a six (all hail Bomb The Bass), the rest is a three-star pottage of late '80s production tics, and none the worse for it.
Lekker album! Heerlijke popmuziek, goede zang, vrolijke muziek. Precies zoals ik 80s popmuziek voor ogen heb. Geweldig!! ****
Funky and catchy. Absolutely not a genre for me, but this album somehow won me over - so a 4/5 from me is probably a strong 5/5 for somebody who's generally a fan of hip hop. Heart's my favorite track because it sounds like a Phineas and Ferb song.
Swedish punk? Who knew? Very talented with a cool mix of rapping and singing, she’s tackling some big issues but also showing a good sense of humour. I didn’t know she was so involved with Massive Attack and the Wild Bunch. A little bit drawn out and dated for top marks though.
I really enjoyed this record! It sits within this liminal space between hip hop, R & B, and dance while also feeling like the perfect decade-spanning record. There's a few misfires, but overall, the vibe was something I could get behind. "Buffalo Stance" has not been far from my mind since my first listen! Favourite tracks: Buffalo Stance, Love Ghetto, Phoney Ladies, So Here I Come
This one caught me by surprise. I loved the '80s pop that slipped into the hip-hop. The songs were catchy as hell.
Un autre album qui ne m'inspirait pas au départ et qui s'est avéré une expérience fort agréable. Quand naturellement tu as envie de remettre l'album, il y a quelque chose là. Je ne dis pas que tout est vraiment bon sur l'album, mais le côté hip-hop old school est pas mal ce que je préfère dans ce disque et il y a tout de même des éléments mélodiques très forts. J'aime beaucoup le fait d'avoir un album hip-hop d'une femme de cette époque. Je trouve également intéressant d'entendre cet album qui met en contexte les débuts de Massive Attack. La pièce Manchild co-écrite avec Robert Del Naja a vraiment la vibe Massive Attack. Pièces préférées: Buffalo Stance, Manchild, The Next Generation, Heart et So Here I Come
A pretty fun album, including some huskier wails. I’m sure I recognised the first track from when I was very young
A pretty slammin early hip hop album! I enjoyed it from top to bottom, although Buffalo Stance is hands down the best track. Feels like a bit of a misnomer to call her "Swedish" when she was raised in the US and has spent her entire adult life in London, but that's on wikipedia and not 1001 albums.
Had a couple of late 80s albums this week taking me back to my youth. But really striking how contemporary they sound these days, ten maybe 15 years ago this would sound as dated as hell but not now, aside from the odd scratch noise. This sound is everywhere in modern music. All time bangers front and centre, it's a blast at the beginning. I drift off halfway through as nothing can compete with the absolute classic singles particularly, but it's still a great, fun, pop album.
Never have heard of this, but I kinda love this... Sounded like a better version of one of the many Prince proteges from the 80s.
I am a big fan of this release. I knew of Neneh Cherry through Rip, Rig & Panic. It took me forever to find the RR&P release back in the day. The disparate elements she integrated was nor commonplace at the time. Nor was the focus on womanhood. At a time when there were clearly drawn lines between pop and what would become hip-hop, Neneh Cherry blurred the lines in the best possible way.
Had no clue what to expect with this one. Very 90s angsty rap feel. A couple songs I liked the vibe of, but not something I'd listen to regularly.
Decently fun album with a wide range of styles and instrumentation. 5/10, probably sounded more modern on release than it does today.
No lo sé, Rick. El sonido característico de los 90s me gusta, está cool, pero también, como diría Maria, es como estar escuchando una hora de lo mismo. Canción favorita: Love Ghetto. Mood: early Will Smith vibes
No conocía a Neneh Cherry, la verdad, pero pues tiene un sonido muy ochentero en la línea de lo que hicieron Janet Jackson y Paula Abdul. Me entretuvo pero no agregué ninguna canción a mi playlist personal
Not easily classifiable as a whole, Raw Like Sushi is one of the most soulful and "hip-hop" albums considered neither R&B nor rap.
'Chocolates, bananas, doughnuts and salami Ain't gonna fit cause you're full of bologna' Extremely tame lyrics on this album. Fun enough to listen to but man, the lyrics / style haven't aged particularly well haha
Surprisingly enjoyed it. Not a 4 because I wouldn’t really listen to it again, buts it’s still good
Not bad. Few tracks I’d go back to which is more than can be said about others on the list. I don’t think it’s aged particularly well. Feels very ‘early 90s’.
Very listenable, was surprised that I liked it at all since this isn't my normal hard rock style of music.
This was an interesting listen. I had no expectations going into it, and was pleasantly surprised. Cherry is a decent rapper and a better singer. I do think this album would’ve benefitted from some editing - every song seems to be trying to do everything, and some of them are all over the place. “Buffalo Stance”, “Manchild” start the album off strong, then it’s weaker through the middle with a strong finish on “My Bitch”. Oh also, it’s interesting that a couple of members of Massive Attack helped write “Manchild” - it sounds almost like a proto-Massive Attack song.
Liked it more than I thought I would. Manchild and Phoney Ladies are the highlights. Not a fan of the LL Cool J inspired rapping.
Decent 80's pop with tons of early hip-hop influences. Fun little trip.back.in time for me with this one.
It's got some bops that's for sure. Had never heard of Neneh Cherry before, and while this isn't really my kinda jams, I didn't mind having it on in the background.
3.5, this was pretty good. I was expecting it to fall a bit more on the hip hop side than the pure 80s vibe it had. Very very tempted to bump to a 4, but would I seek it out to listen again, eh probably not though that's not meant as a slight on the album
I give this a 4/5 for being such a nostalgic album. Such a great time in my life when I lived in the Netherlands and this was the hottest album at the time. I listened to it many times back then and loved it. Now, it has been many years since I've heard it. It isn't quite as good as I remember, but I loved hearing it again. 3/5 overall.
Pretty good, but not great. The songs tend to go on too long, and maybe one or two songs could have or should have been cut. I do dig the late 80s hip hop vibes though. I'd probably give it 3.5/5 if I could, but alas. The first song was the best.
Quite enjoyed this. Good singer, decent rapper. good songwriting but there is a but of filler here. 3/5
Respectable but very 80s sounding hip-hop. Not my thing. Definitely Prince meets Michael Jackson.
Like the combination of influences/genres here and nostalgic for alot of the synth tones but somehow it doesn't coalesce as an album for me.
Bon, engagé. Ca sonne bien et j’ai aime pour le moment. 3.75. Je ne m’attendais pas a aime
Random fact completely irrelevant to the rest of the review: today I learned "Raw Like Sushi" was released in June 1989, on the very same day as Beijing's Tiananmen Square protests. Tank Man nailed that buffalo stance. This album seems to scream of possibility, a last gasp for the 80s and a hint of what would immediately follow. There's a competent fusion between mainstream pop and emergent hip-hop with dance styles that would become more defined in the years to come. Neneh Cherry worked with various members of Massive Attack on the recording, and would later lend her vocals to some of "Blue Lines" in return- it's interesting to trace a through-line beginning here. Drawing as it does from these styles, "Raw Like Sushi" is very clearly date-stamped, from the opening cry of "DJ!" to the pervasive scratch sound effects and the hollow, atomic drum machine beats. But when it works, it really works. The album begins brilliantly- "Buffalo Stance" glows with confidence and boasts a simple yet instantly memorable synth and vocal line. Cherry quickly establishes herself as a very dynamic, likeable presence (from introducing the percussion in stages to the goofy "WOT is he LOYKE?" interlude). "Kisses on the Wind" is another upbeat gem where the litany of "Like a Prayer" comparisons feel most appropriate: all uptempo grooves, twinkling synths and reedy vocals, it feels like it would have been at home in the charts upon release. Unfortunately, the exuberance is short lived. After fourth track highlight "Inner City Mamma" (with another groovy chorus line) proceedings become disappointingly staid. The melodies seem to dry up, arrangements don't stray from the late 80's programmed framework, and the energy becomes a little more reserved. It's an anticlimactic case of a top-loaded album, where the inspiration evaporates after the first half. Cherry is still a great vocalist throughout, glimmering with promise and carrying the weight of the material. Occasionally her raps become tiring and outweigh the strength of the sung vocals, but on the whole she just about sells the songs. The material overall is well worthy of a three stars, if only for the lead single (which will remain in your head long after the rest of it has faded).
Buffalo Stance es un bombazo. También están bien Manchild o Kisses in the wind. El resto hip-hop de los 90 hecho desde Europa. Tuvo su momento pero creo que no dio más de sí.
Swedish? Hell yeah! Pretty solid album. Buffalo Stance obviously the best track, everything else sounds cool but not groundbreaking from my perspective. Glad I listened and discovered though! Strong 3.5
First 3 songs I really liked. Good beats, smooth rapping vocals, and not too cheesy. After that there were a couple I enjoyed but the rest were a bit meh. But those first three especially were really good so as a whole, the album is enjoyable.
This album sounds like average 90s Hip Hop that has not aged well. I was not the biggest fan of this, however, it was not terrible.
I'm not a huge fan of Buffalo Stance so, considering it was the lead single and the opening track, I was worried I wouldn't enjoy this but I actually liked the rest of the album a lot more! Buffalo Stance is pretty cluttered and has some really dated 80s drum machine and synth sounds that just don't work for me at all, but the other songs are far less hectic and feature some pretty great instrumental parts (most notably the jazzy solo on Inna City Mamma and the SNL-style sax riff on The Next Generation) and a good mix of solid rap verses and catchy sung hooks
As the outstanding "Buffalo Stance" plays, I was impressed. I was like, woahh no wonder rap replaced '80s pop! - hiphop goes well with synthy drums! And next tracks kept the flame, they're enjoyable too, albeit not as good as the opener. This album is basically a better version of Madonna. Definitely '80s, but tolerable. Then we got to "The Next Generation". I mean yeah, next generation, the future of the nation. It's a genuine message, but the way it was delivered sounded like it's a parody rap. Personally, not something one would take seriously. Then it's alllll downhill from there.
Never heard of this artist. Sounds like a mash up of every other female 80's pop artist. I'm not sure why this is so important for me to hear, but it was fun.
I was not familiar with the artist or any of the songs. The album was pretty good. It had that early rap and hip hop feel while maintaining that 80s feel. At times the music reminded me of Michael Jackson and Prince. It wasn't a bad album. I doubt I revisit it or listen to any of the songs again.
I had no issue with this album, but like a lot of late 80's/early 90's albums I don't think it aged well sonically. I wouldn't listen to this again, but I can see how teens at the time found it to be a fun album.
Madonna with teeth and a message. Lots of female positivity to address the misogynistic, male lyrics in so many rap and hiphop songs of the time. It's not a great album but it was fun to listen to. Reminded me that I have one of slightly later albums (that leans more to rock) that I haven't heard in years. Will listen to that one again.
I really liked the first track, Buffalo Stance; it’s a really cool blend of 80s hip hop and pop that I hadn’t heard before. However the rest of the album really didn’t stand out to me musically, however I did enjoy the political themes in the lyrics.
Buffalo Stance & to a lesser extent Manchild are decent tracks, the rest leaves a lot to be desired, she was definitely on the cutting edge of what would be later early 90s era pop/hiphop
Some great energy and messages here, but the tracks could've used some editing -- cut everything by 1-2 min and this would be a much tighter, catchier album
I have no idea what's going on. But this sounds like it was a banger in the 80s. Good for her?
Ik was in mijnnjeugd een verknocht radioluisteraar en top 40 liefhebber. De eerste 4 nummers van deze plaat zijn blijkbaar destijds de singles geweest, want die kon ik nog woordelijk meezingen. En was leuk om weer te horen. Maar allea daarna was meer van hetzelfde of beter: minder van hetzelfde. Heel gedateerde 80's rap.
Mja, vroeger vond ik dit schitterend. Nu vind ik de hits wel te doen, maar voor de rest erg gedateerd en behoorlijk Rick Astley gehalte qua sound.
Afgezien van de hitjes deed het me weinig. De tand der tijd ook slecht doorstaan; klinkt erg gedateerd.
Tja, voor mij nu niet echt een album wat je "gehoord moet hebben", de hitjes zijn voldoende voor mij
Got a few tracks in, not as bad as I thought it might be. Not really in the mood for this kinda thing..
Groovy, but, somehow this album has not aged very well. It has a very 90's pop and early 2000's pop sound.
Really didn't like this, just because of the 80s pop sound and high cheese factor. Some of the lyrics were a bit cringe, but some were good. There were a few songs that were a bit political and I liked those because they had more depth. Maybe it would have been better 20 years later with less synth.
Not my favorite style. Very dated sound. Lyrics don't always rhyme, even though they likely "would" if they were pronounced differently, but for some reason she didn't. Nothing in this album reached out to me as special. Did somewhat like the record scratch sound, but didn't really need an hour of that.
Hated it when it came out. It was such a lame pop interpretation of hip hop. I thought it might have been an unfair judgement. Nope. It was totally fair. What a POS. In the Demo tracks on Spotify there was a track with a Swedish Roxanne Shanté vibe, but in a good way. It shows she had some promise. But that was it.
Like stepping in a time machine.... fine for what it is (mix of female hip/hop and pop), but definitely not my thing.
Not into this style of music to begin with, but I’ve been doing my best to be objective on these. Unfortunately not much sounds that unique to me here. The 80s sounds in this album have not aged well imo and it’s overshadowed by a whole lot of music in 1989. Benefit of the doubt gives it 2 stars instead of 1, but I didn’t hear much to justify elevating it past 2
More of a 2.5 but just not much there. Very 80s and it's all very similar. Buffalo Stance was cool for some pop nostalgia but I didn't need six minutes of it. Meh.
Sooooo I remember when this came out and I basically feel exactly the same way now as I did then: I should probably like this more than I do, but this tracks do nothing for me. :/
I have to be in the mood for 80s pop and synthesisers. I was not in the mood today. Full disclosure: I couldn't make it through the full thing. My review is based on the first four songs.
Not impressed. I don't like most of the music and I don't find it genre or industry changing.
Sounds really dated. The pop bits hold up a bit better, but the rap-heavy sections have aged poorly.
Thought this would be a quick buzz thru, but it reminded me of Will Smith and others so I hit the skip button only a couple of times. Still, I'll never listen again.
Weer een redelijk slappe r&b plaat, iets beter als die van mariah carrey maar totaal niet mijn ding
Even though I enjoyed Queen Latifah's album I got a while back, I still don't think this type of music is entirely my thing
"Raw Like Sushi" is Neneh Cherry's debut album. It's a hip-hop album incorporating many different instruments from the trends of the 80's, and has Neneh either singing or rapping. This album's popularity at release was bolstered by the hit single "Buffalo Stance" that took the world by storm. I appreciated the classic 80's hip-hop sound, paired with the beautiful rhymes by Neneh. However, this is not an album that I would add to my collection, based off of my preferences.
What could generously be called an eclectic mix of styles or truthfully: throw enough shit at a wall and see if it sticks. 80's R&B/pop with lame attempts at rapping. Once again, more proof that the 80's was fairly dire for mainstream music. Best Tracks: Buffalo Stance; Manchild; Kisses on the Wind
This one was a slog. I managed to finish it so it gets a 2, but I am really not into 80s/90s hip hop
So dated. Nothing that sounds great these years later besides her nice voice. Not a total waste, still interesting to peruse through it, so it's saved from the dreaded 1...
I said I would give everything album on this list a chance, but I just don't like this. It's not bad, I just don't like the style. I couldn't listen to the whole thing.
Oh boy, does this album broadcast 1989, or what? The videos for some of the tracks are a perfect encapsulation of that point in time for popular music. Other than recognizing a time period, I don't have much in common with who this record was written for. I like understanding different cultural perspectives, but this is not music I would choose to listen to. Once was enough.
The sound of this record is very dated and doesn't hold up at all. The rapping was mediocre and I wasn't a fan of her voice. I did not enjoy this album.
I’m surprised this came out in 1989. This sounds like much older (late 70s or really 80s) rap both lyrically and musically. It was an ok album, kind of generic lyrics.
I can just about see why this is on the list, but it's really not for me. Incredibly corny. The drum beats and samples are monotonous and abrasive throughout. A few tracks that I was almost liking are then ruined by unwelcome samples of whistles, crowd noises and scratching. Feels like a great example of everything that went wrong with pop at the end of the eighties. Her voice is kind of cool, but that's about it. The whole thing sounds like a novelty album. As if some kids in a popular TV programme formed a band within the show and then the producers decided to try and release some music for real. Serious PJ and Duncan vibes, though I would much rather listen to Let's Get Ready to Rumble on repeat for an hour than have to suffer through this again.
блять какая же дженерик хуета в духе того времени написанная 10ю белыми мужиками. сейчас вообще невозможно слушать эту залупу
I went in open minded, but I felt this wouldn't be my thing. It's got that 80s vibe, and I am really not a fan of 80s pop. I'll continue to spin these sort of albums to see if I can be surprised but this one didn't do it for me at all.
Elle a un super bon flow. Ça coule sans accrocher nul pars. Par contre, il ne faut pas qu’elle chante, parce que là ça se gâte pas pire. S’en est gênant (Manchild). L’album part avec son plus gros hit, mais ce hit part tout croche. Ça se passe mieux quand la toune est bien entâmée, mais les première 30 secondes sont pénibles. Dans le bag, j’aime mieux Salt'n'Pepa ou Janet Jackson.
Oufff! C'était pénible ça Ça a mal vieilli, cool solo de piano sur inna city mamma mais le son de casio est atroce So here i come est sûrement la moins pire... avec le hit Buffalo stence Je ne voit que la nostalgie comme raison d'écouter cet album, personne écouterait ça sinon... Vraiment hâte de tomber dans la talle de bons albums pcq le moyenne au bâton est plutôt faible
only made it a track and a half. I have no idea if this woman is talented or not because all i can hear is "THE EIGHTIES" screaming at me with every single instrument and reverb slider. No thank you.