Raw Like Sushi

this is the most 1989 album ever recorded. four Danger Zone bass patches out of five

It was a bit shit, and also a lot of fun. It is so of it's era that it almost comes across as satire. Also, absolutely love how excited she is for a tambourine.

Dated on release, this album definitely didn't stand the test of time. The samples are tired, the flow is weak, and the lyrics are a disjointed mess. It's pop trying to pass itself off as "edgy" by co-opting hip-hop but can't seem to actually pull it off. It wasn't good in '89 and it's not good now.

Neneh 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.

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.

The first track is great, but the rest…

Tedious garbage. It sounds like it was made my a committee of people who had never listened to hip hop or R&B.

I first heard "Buffalo Stance" when it was initially released in 1988, and I didn't get it. I didn't think it was 'right' to mix genres the way this track does. I thought that if you're going to rap, rap. And if you're going to sing, sing. It was probably a full six months before the penny dropped, and I understood what she is doing here. I had been wrong and extremely short-sighted about how songs could be constructed and performed, and Neneh Cherry was visionary and right. And massively influential; artists mix rapping and singing within a track all the time now, to the point where it isn't remarkable at all. But Neneh was the first person to do it (or, at least, to do it in a way that was commercially and critically successful), and she re-wrote the pop playbook. I am ashamed ghat I didn't immediately recognise the genius of what she did here, but once I understood, I got it. I bought the album when it came out, and it is an iconic album of the 80s. It sounds of its time, but still pretty fresh to my ears. I love her confidence and energy, and the deft mixing of genres. It is no surprise that the Massive Attach crew were involved in the production of this record, and they built on this formula with their amazing Blue Lines album. The album is front-loaded with the singles, which I still enjoy. As a result, I realise that I usually only play side 1 (because that's where all the hits are), so it was a nice surprise to listen to side 2, and it also has pretty strong material, that I enjoyed hearing again for the first time in a while. She has such a great voice and a fascinating and original viewpoint. I had been thinking I was going to rate this four stars, but as I listen to it again, and think about how influential it was, and how fun it still is to listen to, I really am leaning towards five stars. Dimery's list has a real problem with under-representation of female artists. I often think he doesn't understand what female artists are trying to do, and can't see the value. And this is an explicitly and wonderfully female album, and it changed the way pop music sounds. And I really enjoy listening it. I enjoyed it at the time, and I enjoy it now. I think it has to be five stars.

An 80s pop/rap album with one hit on it. One of the songs sounded like the theme to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Why the fuck is this on the list.

AWESOME

I love her energy.

Loved this album so much

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

This one had some bops for sure. Hiddem gem.

No. 93/1001 Buffalo Stance 3/5 Manchild 3/5 Kisses On The Wind 3/5 Inna City Mama 3/5 The Next Generation 2/5 Love Ghetto 3/5 Heart 2/5 Phoney Ladies 2/5 Outré Risqué Locomotive 3/5 So Here I Come 3/5 Average: 2,7 Nothing I really liked, nothing I really hated.

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"

One of the greats albums of all time

What's not to love. Of course it's dated, but I'm not participating in this project to discover only the latest sounds. That would be a waste of time, wouldn't it?

love it! was für ein cleaner sound - ende der 80er sicher noch nicht standard. dann der musikalische mix mit verschiedenen einflüssen, perfekte schnelle rhymes. heh, das war das debutalbum einer dann schon erfahrenen musikerin.

10/10 amei ótimo album

Great album

Really love this album. The production is great throughout, but a funny thing is I think I like the demo of "Heart" more than the final product. I'm not really sure why Lauryn Hill gets pretty much all the praise for the singing and rapping, but Neneh did it about a decade earlier but is never mentioned. She is underrated because this record is awesome

Absolute classic! An album that was part of my teens and it was a delight to revisit.

Not my usual genre of music but I liked it

I dug this one. It gave me the throw-back feels.

I had Cherry's Homebrew on CD back in the day (for the song Buddy X) but I don't think I ever listened to Raw Like Sushi. What fun! A lot of catchy grooves that captured the late 80s perfectly. Shame I waited so long.

“Buffalo Stance” is a terrific song - I really love it. So I’m ready to rate this a 5 from the get-go. I don’t recall ever hearing anything else from Neneh Cherry though. The rest of this album is a BLAST! Really great songcraft - I thought “Oooh that figures” when I read that Neneh is Swedish - and great vocals. Full of attitude but so infectiously delightful. Not to mention another song to add to my “once bitten twice shy” playlist. Really really terrific!

Swoon. I love this album and her!

Buffalo Stance might be one of my all time favourite songs. I listened to this album in full for the first time only a few months ago, and have to admit that I’m happy to have been generated it today, as it gives me an excuse to come back to it. Let’s listen! Songs I already knew: all to some degree Favourites: Buffalo Stance, Man Child I love just how empowering this album is. It’s all about rebelling about the patriarchy, and that’s something we could all do with getting behind. It also has great beats throughout, and Neneh’s rapping is so fun to listen to. I still find it funny how she and Eagle Eye Cherry are siblings. There music is so different!

This album is crazy. It’s cheesy, catchy, and none of the songs are skips or boring. It all reeks of 90s hip hop and R&B. Nostalgic. Honestly glad I found this. I was surprised when I heard the OG lyrical sample from MF doom on My Bitch. Would for sure listen through again. 4.52

Just when you think it can't get any better than "Buffalo Stance," it hits you with "Manchild." Although the rest of the album can't quite top that opening double act, it still has an aggressive hip-hop streak that took female pop out of the 80s and into the 90s.

This is a belter of an album, packed to the rafters with banger after banger. Love the vocals, the innovative rap style and just what Neneh Cherry did for Hip hop in general. I absolutely love that very vintage hip hop 80s sound but it's also so distinctive to Cherry in my opinion. Super fun and uplifting, yet very bold strong messaging throughout. Buffalo stance is obviously incredible but also Next Generation and So Here I come other highlights. Very varied throughout the album. Wonderful!

Hip Hop elements a little basic but damn she has her own personality and keeps energy up all the way through the album. 4.8

Non stop bops. This was such an awesome trip. Dated, yes, but in the best kind of way.

Bi dem Albom esches vorallem crazy, dass es scho 1989 use cho esch. För das tönts vel neuer. Während dems scho no rächt vel 80er sounds denne hed, esch t Rhythmik huere starch. Au geds einigi Stelle woni jetzt eidütig im Hip-Hop wörd zuewiise, was krass esch för es 80er albom. Vorallem Buffalo Stance ond Manchild fühli rächt. S einzig negative esch, dassi gwössi Songs oder Teil vo Songs mer relativ onnötig ond wäg dem lanwiilig erschiined.

I wasn't expecting this and it was a pleasant surprise. I don't think this list has dished out any other 1980s era female hip hop artists, and to be honest, I kind of forgot they existed with how heavily male this list skews. Probably not something I'd listen to again but it was decent. I was happy I recognized the sample in "Buffalo Stance" as it was from another album in this list!

Oh, I tried. I just really wanted to like this more than I actually did, because I got such a softspot for Neneh Cherry, who with 'Buffalo Stance' in 1989 and 'Woman' in 1996 wrote 2 songs that have never left my rotation playlists. But this album just isn't of the quality that I hoped for and sounds incredibly dated. And I can't help the feeling that in 1989 a lot of these songs were even then already feeling dated. Buffalo Stance is still an absolute banger though, and with

You can't say that Neneh Cherry wasn't inventive, and Raw Like Sushi is a quite fun album to listen to. Too bad that it also sounds incredibly dated.

This sounds like a missing link between 80’s pop styles and 90’s alternative pop. “So Here I Come” is a standout and a great example. Dense samples you couldn’t get away with anymore, like De La Soul’s classic lost albums. It’s smart and fun and has things to say. I remember Buffalo Stance and Kisses on the Wind, but there’s a lot more here.

If this album’s Raw Like Sushi, then I’m cooked like your brain on drugs. I liked some aspects of this record and hated parts of it, too. As a synth enthusiast, some of the synths are pretty great on this record. There’s comparisons that could be drawn between some of the sounds here and bands like Air or Daft Punk. Don’t act like you didn’t notice the Daft Punk synth in Buffalo Stance. The hip-hop aspect of this record was not so great and the other vocals are way too poppy for me. As this record goes past the first couple songs, though, I’m finding it more and more difficult to feel invested. It is really dated, to the point where I’m remembering the Pepsi slogan from the 80’s (“The Choice of a New Generation”) while I listen to “The Next Generation”. I haven’t thought about that slogan in 35 years and somehow that song feels like it was designed to evoke that slogan and I’m being played like a fiddle. This record is mostly a product of its time (right down to a cabbage patch kids reference) and even in that time, I didn’t like music like this. It’s fine, but it’s definitely not for me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to reminisce about the Berlin Wall falling, because I am fucking old, apparently.

It's different and delivered with energy, but it doesn't speak to me and feels like it belongs in a strange overlap zone of rap and leg warmers.

Tried to fuse a bunch of sounds together in the same way that a kid would try to make a meal by adding every ingredient in a fridge. But worse. A true 1.

I thought there was no way I’d enjoy this late 80’s dance album, but I was surprised. When I heard the opening notes of Buffalo Stance I thought oh this is just Roxanne Shante singing over Afrika Bambaattaa beats, which intrigued me. This soon changed when the album shifted to a quirky inventive rap/dance record. My favorite is Inna City Mama with a totally left field piano solo that would feel home on a Billy Joel album. There’s call and response, drum freak outs, and old school scratching. A favorite is New Generation, a funky horn filled manifesto. Wonderful.

I first heard Buffalo Stance on the Simon Mayo breakfast show!

Very surprised how much I liked this one. Yes it has dated effects that instantly place it in this era, but honestly that makes it more impressive that despite knowing that I couldn't help but enjoy it. Also really cool to read that she was in the Slits when she was younger along with some other cool groups. There's gotta be some cheesy 80s albums that are genuinely good and this feels like my personal go-to for that. Rating: 4.7

New Jack Swing: a lost art. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

Another groovy 80's album. I've been getting a lot of them recently. I remember her name but I'm not familiar with any of her music. This is pretty solid and provides a good snapshot of music from that time.

I found this incredibly grating but so relentlessly positive that I can't bring myself to actually feel negatively towards it

I know maybe two of these tracks - and one of them is obviously Buffalo Stance. Such a great late 80s track. The rest of the album doesn't disappoint. Particular favourite was "My bitch" - the pure joy of both singers having enormous fun shines through splendidly.

I was so stoked to see Neneh on this challenge. She's incredibly talented and should've risen to stardom but just didn't make it. Her song, Buffalo Stance, is on high rotation cause it's that good - perfect, in my opinion. The video is equally captivating & is a true example of late 80s hip-hop. I took a Neneh Cherry deep dive about 5 years ago & learned she's from Sweden (score another for the Swedes...they're some of the most musically innovative artists in the world). I enjoyed this album so much, I ended up listening to it on repeat. What a talent. 4.5 stars

Revolutionary

Rad

Great album. Whatever happened to her? Shame two tracks were withheld.

English accents, string ballads, dj cuts, man children, questionable social commentary, raw sushi, talking spanish, prepubescent sexual tension, slutty locomotives, mixed metaphors, incoherent writing structure, what does getting shirty mean? The nonsensical nature of the writing kind of makes sense considering she's Swedish. Can't deny it's an interesting thing to listen to.

meh

Go go to go-go

Damn what a trailblazer. Watched her Buffalo Stance performance she did on Top of the Pops while pregnant, what a badass.

Absolutely slaps. Love this era and genre. Buffalo Stance is definitely the standout.

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

Loved this.

TOPÍSSIMO

Great album, confident and fresh and smart, making it OK to like hip hop when you are a metaller

Can't believe I've not heard this before. Love it!

Obviously two massive hits begin this album and it would be difficult to sustain this. I quite like this album as it is a good example of this particukar female hip hop genre from the time. Interesting tracks about inner city life from a female perspective.

10 year old me thought this was cool, so who am I to say he's wrong. Though I doubt he knew what most of the songs were about.

Great album. Good mix of freestyle, early rap, pop and other popular generes. Kind of confussed about the whole spanish thingy cause she is Swedish

Favorite Track: Buffalo Stance

Neneh Cherry is a cross-genre talent and I really enjoyed this album. I've seen comparisons between her, Madonna, and Prince, and honestly, I see it. There are a lot of elements of the backing tracks that feel so quintessentially 90s hip hop, which come off as a little cheesy today, but it doesn't distract from her performance too much. Favorite tracks: Buffalo Stance, Manchild, Inna City Mamma

Feel like I'm back at Skater's Choice

This was such a fun rap album to listen to with so many bops and jams! I love discovering new artists and albums so I will definitely be listening to this one again and recommending it to others if you like female rappers or the genre in general.

I haven't heard that one in a long time. I liked it then, and I like it now. Some sounds and instruments are a bit dated, but most of the tracks don't sound like they are nearly 30 years old.

8/10, kinda cheesy, but also genuinely good rap

Still sounds super fresh despite also sounding super 1989.

grooovy and also hell yeah the sounds are very good to the brain and so is her voice and the words, solid 3.75

Sex, funk, in your face attitude and one of the all time classics of the 80s. Some of the lyricism is a little on the nose but she pulls it off and tonally this album doesn't up, all of one piece without feeling repetitive.

Tons of energy. Overwhelming joy. I mean, really overwhelming. Stuffed full of great melodies and rhythm and power. I honestly wish we had a couple ballads to take it down a notch. 3.5/5

Aww, a wee blast from the past. Love her attitude and style and there are some cracking collaborators on here. Starts to grate slightly towards the end. Buffalo Stance is an enduring banger though

Feisty raps. Blammin beats. Smexy album cover. Squishy, smexy album title. First track and main hit single Buffalo Stance is the turbocharged crown jewel here but there’s a good stack of fair cool, old-skool hip hoppity dancey RnB goodness sloshing around here. Also Massive Attack-adjacent with Andrew ‘Mushroom’ Vowles on turntables and Robert Del Naja aka 3D aka Banksy co-writing Manchild.

I actually enjoyed this way more than I expected. To my surprise, I knew the opening track and it was also fun to hear that Stevie Wonder sample on Inna City Mamma. All songs were very groovy and although the album is quite long, I was not once boring while listening. This is not something I’d normally listen to, and I’m not sure if and when I would ever return to this, but it was a nice experience. It’s like a 3.5 but I’ll round up.

Great 80's beats

Pas eu trop le temps d’écouter

Highlights "Buffalo Stance" und "Manchild". Interessanter Mix aus Pop, Rap und Dance-Musik. 4/5

Очень приятный и мелодичный альбом, с весёлыми хип-хоповыми зачитками и сильной атмосферой 80-х. Музыка перемещает в ту самую ретровейвовую фантазию о неооновом прошлом, и, что круто, она и была сделана в 80-х. Очень нравится!

Some good stuff on here, generally liked pretty much every track and thought she her unique perspective helped set it apart from other contemporary 80s pop, as well as the blending of styles. Unfortunately, the production is very dated and of its time which doesn't help. Pretty good listen overall though

Delightfully unique as not a lot of Latina girls were making rap around this time and with it only being 1989 there was still a lot of room to experiment. That is the proper word to explain this album: experimental. Not much that will excite but a solid album with nothing obscenely bad that will show you a bit of what happens when a new genre is being invented.

Great blast from the past. My feet feel like moving on this one.

What a nice surprise! I had heard bits and pieces over the years but the whole album is a new discovery. Jams like Michael Jackson. Enjoyed it a lot!

The things you learn from this endeavor! Like Neneh Cherry is Swedish. It's not surprising she was influenced by Prince, I kept catching glimpses of this album cover and thought it was Prince from Parade era. Initially thought that was Prince on My Bitch. All this is to say I mostly knew Neneh Cherry from the Red, Hot, and Blue album but I'm so glad I had this listen.

Not my thing, but what a banget

I love this kinda 90s dance pop

Eingängiger Rap, der Spaß macht, aber irgendwie auch frisch klingt.

Ooh, I'd forgotten what a tune Kisses On The Wind is. Neneh Cherry was very cool, to 20yo me, and I still think she's cool. She's always struck me as an entirely authentic force. I'm not nearly as bothered by the 1989 production as some of the 'top' reviews; I love the sound! A star off for a couple of weaker tracks, but basically, good songs, good times.

J'ai vraiment été étonné de voir à quel point j'ai vibé sur cette pop hip-hop trop poppy, j'imagine que la playlist à Jay y ait pour quelque chose...

Wonderful dance music. I miss my club days (nights).

Fireeee

Buffalo Stance slaps, wow.

Buffalo Stance and Kisses On The Wind are strong starters. Its got pretty strong pop chops, Next Generation, Heart. A really solid album!

I'm jammin'

I really like the beats! very funky, very 80s inspired. I had never heard of Neneh Cherry but her energy is empowering, energizing, and sassy.

It certainly does feel like the epitome of the 80s all rolled up into one package. As a child of the 80s I totally dig it. Fave: Buffalo Dance, although that bit in the middle always made me think she was British.