1001 Albums Generator
Raw Like Sushi by Neneh Cherry

Raw Like Sushi

Neneh Cherry

1989
2.69
Rating
23001
Votes
1
11%
2
31%
3
37%
4
16%
5
4%
Distribution
Genres: Pop, Hip-Hop, Electronica Styles: Dance Pop, House, Breakbeat, Freestyle, Pop Rap

Reviews (page 3 of 8)

I mean.... come on...... it's not for me is it! I had a quick spin through a couple of tracks, shan't be back. I did have a quick listen to the track Outré Risqué Locomotive, in case it was about a steam train 🤣

Ne, ne, Neneh!👎

A very typical late 80s hip hop / pop sound.

Fugu sushi

The album started with a couple of well known bangers, but was mostly a poorly dated time capsule from the late eighties.

Terrific pop rap from the 80s. Edgier lyrics than you’d expect!

I remember when she hit the scene, she was so cool, and the songs were great, man child, buffalo, 7 seconds, inner city, I did actually see her at a festival a few years ago, still looking cool, I do really like this album

the arrangement and production is kinda fun on some tracks, but the lyrics got so cringey i got pretty turned off to the whole thing.

I like the old school hip hop sound a lot and so the beats carried this for me. Not a lot captured my attention otherwise.

There's some charm in how completely of its time it sounds and some of the tracks are kinda fun to hear once or twice but a lot of this is really forgettable and the lyrics are often pretty bad

Why was this one on the list???

A bit of a mess but the energy was there!!

It’s rare for an album to be equal parts sincere, intelligent, weird and just completely ridiculous, but Neneh pulls it off. Props for separating itself from a lot of the forgettable new-jack swing of the era by incorporating more from jazz, trip-hop (before it really became popular, mind you), synth-pop and African music, and while the production does bring it a bit down, it’s still a great time.

The first song is good The rest of the album is spent reminiscing about how the first song was good It's alright, the album is fun, but all of the songs feel a lot more clunky and awkward after the opener

Goed vermaakt

"Buffalo Stance" is a very very cool track, treading this line between being dated (80s rap flow and record scratches) and timeless (house instrumental and keytar samples on the hook). I really love it. Same goes for its following track, "Manchild" which instantaneously springs to mind images of an underground 90s grotto club with its massive sound. Ultimately I really enjoy the vibe the album strikes in spite of some clunker tracks. She carries a great energy that is really boosted by the Massive Attack instrumentals.

Struggled to engage

A couple of bangers at the start and at the time was very different. It hasn’t aged as well as a fine wine but still a good listen

In a confession that will surprise some, I bought this album when it came out and used it to audition a new music system. A decision met with some disdain by the guy running the hi-fi shop. He had a point. It's hard to sound like you're from New York when you're Swedish and recording in Kensal Green (Neneh, not hi-fi guy. He was from Beckenham). Still, she had a bloody good go. 3*

Intriguing, this is certainly better than I might have expected. The constant obsession with how people be frontin' and maxxin' is a bit annoying, though. If the song content were a bit more illuminating, the music could shine a bit more.

19 - Neneh Cherry - Raw Like Sushi - Rating = 2 Opens with Buffalo Stance which is the hit from this record. Fun song if dated. Slow groove… really dated… not so much… Kisses on the Wind is even more dated… wow. Inner City is a little sticker jam but still screaming early 90’s. The Next Generation… sort of a hip-hop rap vocal with a cheesy beat… no. Love Ghetto is just cheese… Here’s the thing… these songs are all too long and feature early-90’s synth beats… I’m not going to put this on.. Buffalo Stance saves the album… I’m not offended by this album like some of the ones we’ve had on previous days… but it’s not a good album in today’s world.

Starts so so strong…..hits hard but with a couple of absolute bangers to draw you in. But it’s the singles that come first. Which is telling. After the first few tracks the quality just falls off a cliff sadly. An album that’s 80% filler for me (which wasn’t that uncommon in the 80s). 2 - shame really…starts so well. The first two tracks DO belong on a best of the 80s playlist though.

3 out of 5. I did enjoy how late 80's this felt, no shame.

Some fun eighties rap. Not much else to say about it really

Well, I got through the whole thing, but the less I listen to this, the better.

Not for me

First track was bomb, the rest were pop/hip hop expected of the times, but nothing groundbreaking from my POV.

not my bag

This was fine. "Buffalo Stance" is great but I didn't really dig most of the songs. I do wish someone, someday would refer to me as an Outre Risque Locomotive.

There would be no J-Lo or Christina Aguilera without Nehneh Cherry. Props to her as a trailblazer. But the rhymes and rhythms here are a little too simple to listen to alot. Definitely influential though. A 3.

I couldn’t get into this at all and kind of forced myself to finish it.

Starting off with Buffalo Stance! This started off as something I wasn’t really into, but it slowly got better and by the end I was enjoying it! Manchild! The better of the two songs I know with this name. Jokes aside, I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I like the way she goes back and forth between singing and rapping. Usually I don’t love female rappers, just a personal preference, but she’s pretty cool. Kisses on the Wind was pretty good. It was really fun. Inna city mama had good vibes to it! The next generation had a very good beat to it. It also had some great lyrics. Love ghetto had some good moments to it, but it blended into the previous tracks for me. Heart had some lyrics that made me laugh, but overall it was just alright. I didn’t have many thoughts about Phoney Ladies. It was what it was but nothing more. …Locomotive was fun enough. I loved So Here I come. Still not my genre, but this one was great. It almost sounded like the fresh prince theme. My Bitch was an alright closer I loved this album at the start, but it then felt so repetitive and fell short for me. I tried, I really did, but pop is not my genre and this style of pop/rap is definitely not in my realm. 3/5 ⭐️ 70/1089

Listen, I love hip hop and rap and I respect the old school artists but man it can sound so corny sometimes lol. Appreciated the Stevie Wonder sample on Inna City Momma. Speaking of, when tf am I gonna get a Stevie album. Anyway, some solid tracks here when she was singing.

This album is quintessential late '80's pop-schlock. Buffalo Stance was a massive hit, and with it being the lead track, it's all pretty much downhill from there. Weird synths, manufactured beats from a box, it's everything that was going on around that time. Neneh has a lovely voice, but the lyrics she's singing are very surface level. 3 stars for the nostalgia factor.

Funky but not my taste

Zone out a bit. It's aight

Definitely from the 80s thats for sure, but it was a decent listen. The lyrics were quite good from what I heard, and I would probably give it a 4 if I liked that type of music more

Hadn't heard of her before, but I quite enjoyed it

Old school r&b sound with some early hip hop influences. The synthesizers and production is simple, but effective and complements Neneh's vocals and lyrics. The songwriting is relatable, but nothing thought-provoking. It's an ok record.

Wellknown boomer Pop of the 80's from Sweden.

I don't have anything against Neneh Cherry, I think she seems like an interesting person, and I do think this album is earnest, and personal to her. But I just don't think the execution on this is great. Raw Like Sushi is a decent collection of songs. But I think it's let down by some really clunky production decisions, cheesy lyrics and slightly obnoxious 80's-isms. This is kind of cool as an early combination of hip-hop and RnB. And Cherry can even kind of carry a serviceable rap performance. But the hip hop production influences here were a little bit behind where the genre was in 89' and it just makes a lot of the album's more hip-hop moments sound incredibly awkward. Additionally, while these are songs she clearly cares about, I just don't think her lyrical approach makes them especially interesting or unique. And the big 80's synths and reverb on top of it aren't helping. But Neneh Cherry does get in some good melodies, and she can sing well. This ends up at least listenable from front to back. But when I try to dig in here, I just don't really find much that impresses me.

'No money man could win my love / It's sweetness that I'm thinking of.' The detractors would say that this is dated even for '89, but Latifah's debut was dropped in '89 & Monie Love's first in '90, & this is at least on par w/ those classics. Good at both rapping & singing, she's more personality & ad-lib, forerunning both Lauryn & Elliott, than she's virtuosic or outta this world. I listen to this not for the lessons of it, tho they're there & you'd be remiss not to harken, but its winning & timeless flavors. This is no hip-hop record - it's an album w/ rapping on it. She had already been featured on Infected, the The's second, & 70s soul, particularly What's Going On, is clearly in her essence, i.e., she's too authentically all over the place to be a bounded gal.

I guess this is not for me... It's not entirely terrible but feels dated in the wrong way.

Raw Like Sushi is definitely an album right. I didn't really know what to expect going into this, and I came away with an album that I could definitely say things about. This is a VERY late-80s album in terms of the production. It's kind of like a mix of dance music, pop, and even a bit of rap. It is a tad dated, but not really in a bad way. It doesn't do the album any favors, but it doesn't actively make for bad experience. There are some solidly produced moments, which isn't exactly surprising given the album's connections to various members of Massive Attack. I do think the album has some more significant flaws though. I think the whole "gimmick" of the album wears off before the album ends. The album starts off fairly well with "Buffalo Stance" and "Manchild." Those songs are pretty good, but I think the song quality does dip as the album goes on. It never gets truly bad, but the album does start on its highest note and go down from there. I think Neneh Cherry's voice is good enough for the music. She's got the energy. This isn't really my kind of thing, I'll be honest. I've got respect for it and I can't say that it's a bad inclusion on the list, but it's not something that I get too much out of. It's solid, but I think it could be improved upon. 3/5.

Bold, stylish, and confidently genre-fluid. It still feels fresh when it leans into its personality, and the best tracks have real punch. A few dated moments, but the attitude carries it.

not my vibe

very 80s

I mainly know Neneh Cherry from her collaboration with Massive Attack. It's a mix of hip-hop and pop but it sounds way too much like the 80's shitty pop sound for me to like it. Favorite songs: Manchild ; So Here I come

Hiphopop? No nie moje klimaty, ale zaskakujące połączenia

Fun enough mix of pop and early hip hop. Enjoyed it, but never threatened a second listen.

Not for me. 1/5

It sounds like something written for a fake band on a 90’s Disney channel sitcom. Like if there was an episode of Sister Sister and the twins wanted to help their friend get a show at a venue they had an “in” at

Girl power rap

I remember Buffalo Stance being all over the radio, but I'd never heard the rest of the album until now. It sounds so... normal, compared to the free-spirited wackiness of Buffalo Stance. There are several late-80s soul songs (sung well!) and more raps, and it's all fine, but nothing too distinctive.

I couldn't wait for this to end

Dated but fun. Buffalo stance is by far the best song

Sounds like she had three half decent songs and someone said to her "look, if you could just cobble together another, I dunno, 11 tracks, something, ANYTHING, then we'd have just about enough to put out a whole album".

This is great. The haters are wrong. Bye ✌️

No Moneyman Can Win My Love 1001 Albums Generator 235 (2/25/2026) If this album came out any later than 1989, it would be considered a parody. It is so of its time and it sounds so dated. And I can't even excuse the simple, dated production, because this came out the same year as Paul's Boutique. But beyond that, it's a fine example of this sort of early electro-rap style. Buffalo Stance was the big hit and for good reason. It's this really cool mix of pop rap, synthpop, and some kind of experimental synth choices. No other song really reaches the same levels unfortunately. Manchild is slower, but some moments of Neneh's vocals sound off to me. Inna City Mama is another nice slow, sultry tune. And it's kind of downhill from there. There really isn't much to walk away with from the second half of Raw Like Sushi, except that Neneh Cherry sounds so much like Michael Jackson on some of these songs, especially Love Ghetto. An alright, but inessential listen. 2.5/5, rounded down to 2. Favs: Buffalo Stance Manchild Inna City Mama Least Fav: Phoney Ladies

Holy cow, this music was dated when it was released. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more 1980s sound ever (derogatory). She attempts to rap on a lot of the songs, but her flow is weak as hell, like she wanted to do music like Madonna, but the studio saw she didn’t have the chops and went to the hip-hop well to give her an “edge.” It’s not unlistenable, but it’s not good music. 2/5

Generic late 80s/what would become early 90s Pop/R&B/Hip-hop with some interesting ideas here and there. Ultimately this one gets filed in the "Why is this included on this list?" folder. 2/5

One of my favorite hip hop albums, fusing with funk and pop brilliantly. Love her more recent work also (e.g. Natural Skin Deep).

This was fine. I can respect that it helped define a new type of genre but not really my vibe. Neutral for uniqueness.

Feels like 80s hiphop mashed with pop. Really enjoyed the entire vibe! No real standout songs though.

This was a fun pop album that yes, might be a bit dated in some aspects, but nevertheless is reflective of that style of pop at the turn of the '90s.

This album is a sterotypically-80s-produced album, that tends to have rapping in the verses and then melodic singing in the chorus. The choruses tend to be quite long and are repeated often - usually in the outro - just like the Like A Prayer album by Madonna (another album released in 1989.) It's an alright album but probably won't revisit. Highlight Song/s: "Buffalo Stance" and "Manchild"

First track is great. Nothing of interest after that

Bring back disses like "you're so digital, girl" and "you're like one of those cabbage patch creatures"

Did not age well. At least it was kinda interesting for a late 80s album I guess

OK, there's a particular theme which runs through the album. Men exploit women, both sexually and for monetary gain. This is bad and women have to be strong to stand up to it. Nena Cherry can both sing and rap pleasingly. So far so good. The music is however, with limited exceptions (Chorus of Buffalo Stance), is tosh.

Solid pop album, better than I expected

Worldview lyrics and classic 80s bops

Buffalo Stance is great... Not so much after that...

Really didn't do much for me, but this being female hip hop from 1989 hasn't escaped me either

Wasn't a fan. A lot of the lyrics sounded super dated and it just didn't click for me. 1.5/5

very 80s. not very catchy

I loved the spanish moments. The instrumental are really fun and the flows too. I dont really resonated with the differents subjects but the overall music, even if you guess easily that it from 1989, is great.

Listenable

Cool, global, stylish chaos in motion. Rating: 4.4/5 Short Review: This album feels like a late 80s city at night, all neon and attitude. It jumps between hip-hop, pop, and soul without asking permission. Confident, playful, and smarter than it lets on. Favorite Track: Buffalo Stance, because it struts and doesn’t look back.

Good lord, I still know every word of this; I must have played it a lot in 1989 (I still seem to have it). Also, one of my mothers-in-law was friends with Moki Cherry and babysat baby Neneh in Copenhagen in the 60s. All that said, much of it sounds a little cheesy now, but Buffalo Stance is still a banger, of course.

Undeniably dated, and a bit ridiculous, but I kind of love it. And Buffalo Stance is a 10/10 song.

cool but aint my jam

It’s not that she’s not talented, it’s that this style of music is very dated and these songs don’t have the charisma to be thought of as classics of that era. There are plenty of 80’s music that are loved even though they are dated. This isn’t that. The album would have been helped if the songs weren’t all 5 minutes long. It’s ok to write 3 minute songs.

01) Buffalo Stance - 9,5 02) Manchild - 9,5 03) Kisses on the Wind - 7,5 04) Inna City Mamma - 7,5 05) The Next Generation - 7,0 06) Love Ghetto - 7,0 07) Heart - 9,0 08) Phoney Ladies - 7,0 09) Outré Risqué Locomotive - 7,0 10) So Here I Come - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,80 (78/100) Current ranking: 286/820

Bit too long, very dated but I liked the energy it brought. Would I listen to it often? Probably not.

Still a breath of fresh air

Buffalo Stance 3/5 Manchild 2/5 Kisses on the Wind 2/5 Inna City Mamma 2/5 The Next Generation 1/5 Love Ghetto 1/5 Heart 1/5 Phoney Ladies 1/5 Outre Risque Locomotive 1/5 So Here I Come 1/5 My Bitch 1/5

Fun, fun, fun. Really enjoyed this one. Great start to the album with Buffalo Sauce and the good songs keep coming. The Next Generation was another favourite. Looking forward to more Neneh

This was fine.

Co to było? Pewna nie jestem, ale niektóre utwory wkręcają się w mózg jak wiertło. Nie jestem w stanie tego ocenić niżej niż 7/10, chociaż wiem, że to nie jest wcale takiej dobrej jakości. Ale taki stary pop z lekko eklektycznym zacięciem leży blisko mojego serca.

Not to be taken too seriously, despite some of the song topics. Tries to address lots of societal and interpersonal problems, but like most albums of its time, the calls to action are hollow and cheesy. Can’t fault her for her heart being in the right place though. I thought “Buffalo Stance” would ware me down by its end, but I actually started coming around on it as it ran on. Don’t mind it at all. “The Next Generation”, however, was hilariously clunky. I had a good laugh at this one. Is it pro-life? Is it a bitter breakup song? I don’t really know. 2/5, harmless but nothing crazy good imo

Didn’t do much for me. The opening song was catchy enough but the whole album just had me thinking Madonna/Spice Girls-wannabe and not a very good one at that. Sorry, not for me

Ahh not really my kind of thing. 80’s pop

I didn’t mind this. It kind of sounded like an edgier version of Madonna.

Buffalo stance is a 10, but the rest of the album did nothing for me. Bummer.

The 80s were weird.

*Tony Romo voice* ehhh I don’t know Jim. She started out hot with Buffalo Stance but the rest was pretty bad Jim. Watch for a 2/5 coming up here

This is cool enough but gets a bit monotonous after awhile. A bit too long also. I like her voice though

Not bad, but very dated in a not so flattering way. Can’t take away from Neneh’s voice though.

it doesn't have originality or timelessness or lyricism or novelty or replayability, but it is like, kind of mildly charming

I do not like this album but it is at least interesting. It is interesting because it is such a snapshot of this era. It sounds like pop/hip hop music from 1987 to 1991, not like some of it but like all of it. The drums, the horn stabs, the James Brown breakbeat and voice. The producers basically took a bit of anything and put it on here, not like say "The Bombsquad" but as to make a pop record. I don't think this is very good but man it sounds like 1989.

Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Lame…

I did not want to enjoy this album, because I knew it would be an incredibly 80's album. An R&B/dance album that straddles the line between the 80's and 90's doesn't sound enticing. This was a really good album and I enjoyed it. Buffalo Stance, which I knew but didn't know I knew, is a freaking bop. I have not looked it up to see what "Buffalo Stance" means but the song is great. I don't know how I feel about the rapping, not because Neneh Cherry can't rap, but because rapping during this era can feel forced, like it's the "tough" thing for an artist to do. Regardless, Neneh Cherry is not a wallflower and her personality shows through on these songs. Great debut. My favorite songs: Buffalo Stance Manchild The Next Generation Heart Outre Risque Locomotive So Here I Come

I love this album. Fun, brash, exciting. A new voice at the time and still sounds fresh today. Her autobiography is brilliant as well.

Started strong … ended average.

This was so cheesy! (In a fun way.)

Not a bad first listen. This album is aggressively late 80s. I'm wondering if the Massive Attack connection warrants it's inclusion here.

Well... I thought it would be worse. And, I have to admit I've enjoyed it pretty much. It's not that I would listen to this album much, and I wonder if I will listen to it again (probably not), but it's been nice. Some songs are kind of good. It gets very funky at times and with a lot of fun. But there are also a lot of songs that are just... there. Some songs that are terrible, in a bad sense. It's not that the album is great, for sure, and it's not the kind of music I would listen to, neither consider good. It's a very eighties-entering-the-nineties album, with hip-hop influences and funk-meets-house. Well, not something much of my like, but really something to enjoy. If you are in the mood.

Buffalo Stance Manchild

gefühlt das was doechii jetzt ist, richtig nice musik und witty lyrics, allein schon der titel ist iconic

interessant, kannte ich noch nicht

Not the best I’ve ever heard.

Very fun!

Really fun!

It’s very 80s and cute, but it’s just not for me.

Hadn't listened to this one in ages and it was a great reminder of how much fun this record is. We need more Neneh in 2026!!

Really fun pop/hip hop crossover. Raw, honest, and real without being crass or boring. I’d give it 3.5 but that’s not an option so I’ll give it a 4.

Me gusta que no hay mucho ruido pero sí tiene un ritmo vigoroso, solo que no es lo mío

Extremely dated, but has some really good songs in the first half. I started to lose interest towards the end.

Great mixture of genres across the whole album. Enjoyed listening to the whole thing. Hadn’t really listened to anything Beyond Buffalo Stance before.

she’s funky, i like her

Not bad, pleasantly dated … but also remember her sound and her look being so different, so cool

2/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/neneh-cherry/raw-like-sushi/ Holy fucking shit this album sounds like a product of its time and aged like fine milk. Especially the rapping parts are absolute ass. First song is kind of a banger tho.

Did not age well

2 words God Awful

Attitude and delivery are great, musically eclectic. Neneh has undeniable charisma and fluency from the jump- wish there were more records to follow. Rest of album may suffer a bit from the monumental greatness of ‘Buffalo Stance.’

This is very much a product of its time like most 80s hip hop, but I did like it. Buffalo Stance is the only one I'd heard before but is a GREAT song (I somehow have the single on vinyl). The rest of the album doesn't quite approach that, but I do like some of the almost European pop influences throughout, that I think set this apart from some other contemporaries like Queen Latifah or Salt N Pepa. Not a bad listen at all, not amazing.

Now TAMBOURINE!! UNHH!! Has the same energy of CJ doing the Jackal on West Wing. If this is on this list surely Weird Al is on here somewhere.

Give me the fugu fish. Nay nay I say, this is no cherry on the top.

What an incredible album!!

Cool album. You can hear the influences of early hip hop here and a bunch of other electronic music all mashed together.

Favorite Tracks: Buffalo Stance / So Here I Come Rating: 2.2 Had to just skip a couple of these tracks; "The Next Generation" was so weird it made me uncomfortable, "Heart" is SO cheesy, and "My Bitch" was super cringe. Some fun samples; there's a LOT going on here but it mostly comes together into kind of a fun, rattly, synth-y 80's pop melange. Overall this one album just isn't for me though.

Big A and I ripped an ab workout during this and I found the beats to be quite motivational. So I’ll give it the bump, though it’s probably more of a 2.5

I expected this to be a horny album and it did not disappoint. Don't know if the sound has aged particularly well but it's definitely a toe tapper. Pleasantly surprised.

I can pretend to appreciate what this album accomplishes, but this is a no for me dawg.

Its not Neneh Cherry's fault, but this album reminds me of Sesame Street. Probably just because they played a lot of similar sounding music when I watched in the early 90s. Doesn't make it bad but it does mean I likely wouldn't seek it out. Also it's kind of funny hearing music I associate with Sesame Street discuss such adult themes.

You open on a hot day. You pan over Brooklyn (Harlem if ya nasty). Old ladies are fanning themselves on the stoop with a glass of iced tea. Children are playing in a fire hydrant that’s open for some reason. Street youths are breakdancing on cardboard next to a boombox. A young man and a beat cop have a minor altercation for little to no reason. This album is what’s playing. Directed by and Starring Spike Lee. Overall I doubt I’ll listen to this again, but this album elicited some very clear mental images and was a fun listen

Buffalo Stance was a great song! Ive never heard it before but its just a real 80s jam. It would fit in perfectly if they remade clueless in the 80s. The rest of the album isn't as good unfortunately

Surprisingly didn't dislike it as much as I thought I would.

This was so painful. My ears are raw from this onslaught of awful digital, harsh electronic over-produced pop. Grating is being kind. Lyrics are vapid. "All those feelings, I felt them first"?!? Puke. I couldn't find anything redeeming here to lift it above 1.

Fire Like Flames

Eclectic? Painfully late 80s

The beats are fun

Oh, c' mom!

Oh, fuck no. I can't even give her an extra point for not being Rufus Wainwright or Sad Jitrag (or whatever the fuck that shit-ass band with the Steve McQueen album was called). This album is the 80s dance-pop equivalent of some sad British bastard whinging about the weather or something. Uuuuuggghhhhh.

Predictably, I really didn’t like this album. Buffalo Stance nearly made me think I was going to get surprised. I kind of like that song and faintly remember it. That might have earned this 2 stars but the shallowness of the beats and songs erased that goodwill. I think it’s telling that this was 1989 and it sounds like mid-80s production. This album was retreading ideas. Finally, why on earth is every song 5 minutes long?

1/5 - No

Good solid pop

It was ok

A really fun mishmash of the dancier corners of pop, R&B, and rap that anticipates a lot of what came in the next decade, from a soft launch of the Massive Attack aesthetic on the Robert Del Naja-produced "Manchild" to a lot of Robyn's 90s career. Really enjoyed this one.

WHOSE LOOKING GOOD TODAYYYYY WHOSE LOOKING GOOD IN EVERYWAYYYY

begint goed, maar zoals alle rap is ook mijn goesting rap verdwenen

I quite enjoyed a lot of this. 1989 rap/hip hop, and it sounded exactly like that period.

Album #1,004 Only listened to the original LP tracks, no bonus tracks. It's decent sounding pop with some cheesy rapping in spots. She sounded black or Puerto Rican. I never would have guessed she was born in Sweden. Anyway, the music is not really notable, but also not unlistenable.

Didn’t expect, with this album name, to have a tambourine directive within the first 20 seconds. 1 Point

This is a bit too smooth for my tastes. It also got a bit samey after a few tracks. I think you had to be there, as the production hasn't aged that well.

Right from the opening beats of Buffalo Stance, Sushi is pure joy. Uplifting, thoughtful, cheeky, experimental and funny as fuck in places. This is what I ask for in my music.

This is so dated. It's not horrible, but all the songs have the same synth-pop sound.

Bright, punchy grooves built from crisp drum-machine snaps, rubbery bass lines, sharp rhythmic stabs, splashes of horns and synths, and vocals woven directly into the beat through a confident mix of rapping, singing, and spoken asides move this pop-rap album like a fresh burst from a shaken soda can—sparkling, assertive, and eager to fizz over the edges.

Full of 80/90s attitude! It feels so forced. And it’s a full hour long!

Raw like sushi. Aged like milk.

3.0 but Buffalo Stance is so great it bumps the whole thing up a point

80s poppy hip hop, has that over dynamic Michael Jackson production I don't like that makes a lot of the 80s a slog for me. I feel Neneh knew what the best bits were cos these ones would be repeated too many times. Lyrics and flow were pretty typical for the time I'd say, definitely run dmc influenced. Not a 1 but it really isn't for me, 1.5.

This really isn't for me. Super upbeat, overproduced, doesn't really let her voice get going, overall quite dated. Felt like Paula Abdul. I much prefer Save Tonight, by her brother, Eagle-Eye Cherry.

Buffalo stance is a pretty iconic track, not convinced about the rest of it. She can rap though, it's just all a bit 80s for me. Bit like Deee-lite or similar. It's long too. Didn't realise she was Swedish. Think 2 is about right

nat really my deal, its like Debbie Gibson met MC Lyte and they made an album

The only reason I know the name Nenah Cherry before I started this project was a line from "The Girls Don't Like The Job" by Kool Keith (aka Keith Thornton) 'You'll get no record deal actin like Neneh Cherry, back to work don't flirt.' Well, now I know that she was also in the Slits for a hot bit. It's a pretty good record totally Hip-Hop for the time and good. She may be getting an extra star that she made it as a reference in a Kool Keith song.

Not a fan. I am sorry 😞

Day 133 Few nice songs here and Buffalo Stance is obviously a banger. Was surprised to see a member of Massive Ataack involved with this album but can definitely hear it in some of the mellower tracks Highlights Buffalo Stance Kisses on the Wind

Flawless perfection

Absolutely terrible, pseudo hip-hop pop. This sounds like something that would be whipped up in an afternoon for a low-budget 80s high school comedy. It's practically a satire of itself.

Some great songs, and huge influence on the Bristol scene. Can’t see myself coming back to it often though

It’s ok. The strangest chord progression of manchild is weirdly the most memorable track, which is a bad bad thing. Because the rest of the album is actually ok. But instead of a centrepiece, manchild is just so bad and it ruins the album.

I feel like this album left quite a bit to be desired. Her flow is good, but it felt choppy at times. I like the beats most of all, and you could tell Cherry is really trying to push some boundaries. However, for whatever reason, it just feels like it doesn’t stick the landing. Shout out to Outré Risqué Locomotive. That song slapped.

There were moments I enjoyed in this album but overall it comes off as cheesy as hell. Better than other albums I’ve given one star so it’ll get two stars, but just barely.

Her voice reminds me of a Temu Michael Jackson. I have no idea why "Buffalo Stance" has so many listens. I was struggling to get through this very 1989 era album. It's like a blend of my least favorite aspect of 80s and 90s music, and it's way too long.

rating based on original tracklist only Buffalo Stance - 4/5 Manchild - 3/5 Kisses on the Wind - 3/5 Inna City Mama - 4/5 The Next Generation - 2/5 Love Ghetto - 3/5 Heart - 4/5 Phoney Ladies - 3/5 Outré risqué locomotive - 4/5 So Here I Come - 2/5 Average score: 3.2/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ my ears are so... confused? part of me wants to hate on this. like others have mentioned, it sounds very much like it came out of the late-80s, and it has NOT aged well. on another hand, she sounds like she's having so much fun it's hard to take it seriously or give some sour critique

I liked this back when it was released. I was just a little kid and didn’t understand what she was singing about. Haven’t heard it years, so when it popped up here it was a nice surprise. So, did it hold up? Yes and no. There are some good songs here, but the rapping is dreadful - I feel like I could write and perform better rap parts myself. The themes probably raised a few eyebrows back then, but seem like nonsense now. Having said that, the singing is good and songs like Manchild are great. Pity about the rap. So despite the negatives, I’ll give it a four.

I actually had fun with this one. Though since there's about 4 female artists on this list, I'm not sure why this one made it. Pretty repetative

This album does take me back. It’s as silly now as it was in 1989 but it is non-offensive and casually fun.

Got confused thinking I was listening to the "Boomerang" soundtrack. 2/5

I think this spin on New Jack Swing is really cool and at times unique and brilliant. Some of the songs on here are really great and the first listen of the first song (Buffalo Stance) was such a fun and surprising journey.

Det va for så vidt underholdanes, men det e jo et album som e helt ekstremt av sin tid, i lydbilde og det hele, så det trakk, ikke nødvendigvis ned, men det farga lytteopplevelsen, og gjorde det vanskeligere å få tak på det som kanskje e av positive kvaliteter i det hele. Men gøy nok!

Always considered this artist a one hit wonder. Nothing really stands out here.

A one hit wonder that I would not have included on this list from the 1980s. I feel that much better and more popular albums from the 1980s were avoided in order to include this and it ultimately is not worthy of the spot. This was never considered a great album, not in 1989, and not now. So many great albums from 1989 from artists from the B-52s, Nine Inch Nails, Billy Joel, Madonna, The Cult, Motely Crue, and Don Henley, and Dimery ignores them for this? The only reason that ratings of the 80s on this list is so low is because Dimery has more often than not chosen among the weakest of the 80s albums and ignored many of the more time-tested albums that came from perhaps one of the greatest decades of Rock and Pop. There is also an overrepresentation of English acts that simply were not culturally relevant in the 1980s, while ignoring some of the other beloved and popular English albums because why? Not hipster enough for Mr. Dimery?

hmmm no this wasn't for me

3- Stars (7/15)

would like to give it 3.5 as i really like it but it doesn’t quite live up to my 4 star expectations

I've heard one of these before. 80s noise

Starts with "Buffalo Stance" which is probably the peak of the album and, as I've noted before, I struggle with albums who blow their creative load right off the bat.

Refreshing mix of genres, but not a fan of the 80s vocals and the rythm was a little repetitive, overall a bit repetitive, I like the rap parts though.

Sounds like a bunch of Swedes wrote what they thought American hip hop was? I know they were going for Paula Abdul more than tribe called quest- but just kinda sounds like a suburban mall talent competition.

I really don't get it. I feel like she's a knock-off Janet Jackson.

I love Buffalo Stance! The rest doesn't hit as hard.

Not a fan of this album. It's too 80's sounding. It's supposed to be the roots of trip-hop but the samples are lame.

Buffalo Stance has to be a top 10 80s song and the reason for an extra star. Manchild is great and the overall motif running through about girl power is fun.

Album 30 - Neneh Cherry - Raw Like Sushi - 3/5 I enjoyed this a lot but am giving it a 3 because I don't think I'm likely to return to it. The spirit in which I enjoyed it comes from being a white kid from the suburbs who grew up in the 90s. Sometime in elementary school I started listening to Top 40 radio. For a couple of years there I could probably sing all the words of all the hits, whether they were alternative, R&B, hip hop or pop. I saw the sign and I'm afraid of Americans and I don't want no scrubs and I say hey what's going on. But like a lot of kids my age, I eventually learned what kind of music I was "supposed" to be listening to. As a local radio station used to put it, "no rap, no country" -- a particular kind of white identity. I deepened my knowledge of rock and folk and punk, but wouldn't have admitted how much a younger version of me had loved TLC and En Vogue and Boyz 2 Men. As with any most white kids listening to that music, there was a kind of fantastical imaginary relationship to some of the subject matter. We pretended we were going to a party on the West Side where "all the gangbangers forget about the drive by." Anyway, this kind of 80s hip hop brings me back to that joyous childhood place. It's absolutely a part of my experience of listening to R&B and hip hop today, the understanding that this was an experience I lost touch with through America's never sleeping racial sorting system. In that sense the album is a five. And everyone is right, "Buffalo Stance" is a banger and anticipates groups like Massive Attack. But at the same time I've listened to enough contemporary hip hop at this point that the rap on other tracks seems kind of rudimentary. I'd be happy if I encounter any of these tracks in the wild but probably won't put on the album again.

Unlistenable

I liked it a lot 8.5

chato e datado. 3 estrelas

The singing, songwriting, and producing was so bad <3

50/1001 First listen. Buffalo stance is a great catchy dance song. This rest of this album though? Just why? This list is so silly at times. Sounded like Do the Bartman was gonna be next. This definitely transported me back to 1989. Not bad, just not for me. 4/10

This is so far-eighties there should be hatecrime laws for it. The lyrics couldn't possibly be more shallow and superficial but sometimes that just is what you're after. A lot of these songs and the production also reminds me of many different Mega Drive games' soundtracks, which is a nice bonus. Overall I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.

Not my scene but Buffalo Stance and Manchild still hold up well.

A not unpleasant slice of late 80s hip hop influenced poparama

It's actually a hip-hop-like album that didn't immediately make me want to turn it off. I found the music quite funny in places. Still, I probably won't listen to it again. 3/5

Buffalo Stance is the entire “1980s production style” crammed into one song.

It sounds so painfully of its time.

I appreciate Raw Like Sushi more than I like it. I can remember watching the "Buffalo Stance" video on MTV back in the day, but it was not my jam. A month before Raw Like Sushi came out, The Cure released Disintegration. Now THAT was my jam.

i had high hopes going into this album... i really wanted to like this album... buffalo stance was one of those serendipitous singles that found its way into my library years ago and has since become a personal classic with high replay. so imagine my disappointment listening to the rest of the album and not getting even a CRUMB of what i was expecting from a european act with an eclectic genre blend released on the eve of the 80s - what the hell man!!! i guess i should be kinder (as i've been in other reviews) for trailblazing acts that stand as the forebearers and foundation for what's to come, but dang!!! come on!!! highlights - buffalo stance, kisses on the wind, the next generation

When I first listened to this I actually enjoyed it enough I was considering it as a 4. However it doesn't really stand up on a later relisten, and there's not much I'd listen to outside it. I am very amused by it though. Why, that's the next generation!

Buffalo Stance started this album off strong, but unfortunately outside of a few more standout moments like the piano in Inna City Mamma, there really wasn't much to this one, I'm afraid. A solid 6/10, mostly on the merit of Buffalo Stance alone.

This is a fun peek into pre-90s hip hop, but it really hasn't aged very gracefully -- it's downright cheesy listening to it today. It blew my mind going to her artist page after listening to this, and seeing Kids With Guns as her most popular feature. I would never have made the connection! Standouts: Inna City Mamma • The Next Generation • So Here I Come

Confession time - I only knew about her from her work with Gorillaz on Kids With Guns. Previously tried to listen to her music but it never caught me. Unfortunately, it still didn't. Buffalo Stance was good but every other song on this album sounded the same and I had no desire to give it the customary second listen.

Felt weirdly in between eras

++: The Next Generation, Phoney Ladies, Outré Risqué Locomotive, So Here I Come +: Manchild, Kisses on the Wind, Inna City Mamma, Love Ghetto, Heart +-: Buffalo Stance 6,0/10

Heh, without a doubt this was an entertaining album. It absolutely sounds dated to it's time, which is fine, and there is some intrigue with the lyrics and the energy.

buffalo stance is my fave...otherwise, not super into it.

One of a kind. Very original and never been copied.

Very good.

Aggressively 1989

Nothing really outstanding for me, but nothing particularly wrong with it

Almost a 4, but 3

Sooo 80s. Only Buffalo Stance was listenable.

No no no, it's Mariah Carey

Produção bem eclética e interessante. Muitas vezes o som é extremamente datado, mas eu suspeito que isso tenha sido feito propositalmente. A voz da cantora não é lá das melhores, das mais harmoniosas, às vezes chega a ser estridente, mas de fato ela possui personalidade e carisma. Álbuns da década de 1980 sempre me assustam, mas esse aqui é tudo menos genérico. Você constantemente vai levantar uma sobrancelha em espanto com algumas das decisões feitas aqui. Um mistureba legal, e sinceramente, não sabia o que eu esperava de uma cantora sueca que fala espanhol…?! Enfim, esse disco me surpreendeu. Tem um groove bem legalzinho e me envolveu bem, difícil ficar parado. Bem memorável. 3.5/5

Good album, classic hip hop with 80s pop mix

It’s fun but the old school rapping always sounds cringey to me. But really catchy

Yup …. Still don’t like her

Not for me.

2 - not great

Day Should this be on the list? No.

Was expecting more. Ok better than a lot of 80’s dross but not really as sassy or innovative as some think it is. While it tackles a lot of womanhood themes I think the lyrics are a bit basic and sometimes cringey. Buffalo Stance is the standout. Not offensive - average fairly pleasant pop music. 2.9

Dated. Some of this reminds me of rapping from Will Smith which probably isn't a good thing. Still good singles though

Raw can be a good quality but I also think it's important for Music to be well done. This isn't really either and instead just sounds undercooked.

Raw, like a slice of well produced 80’s pop. This is good at what it does. it probably sounds like a better version of Paula Abdul, but I really don’t want to find out. Not my cup of chai, but delivers some fun tunes esp the big hits. I was tempted to mark this down a star because of her incorrect use of sushi. The pedant in me needs to point out that sushi isn’t raw, the rice is cooked. She’s thinking of sashimi. Anyway, I’ll never listen to it again.

Boring pop, with bad vocals on top.

Not really my jam. It has some very few interesting parts, some rhythms and instrument usage. But I'm missing more melodious songs, and better lyrics. It's a bit too much 1989 for me. 1,5/5

This sounds like she tried out for coyote ugly and didn’t make it

C'est pas ben bon, c'est cringe à souhait, mais ça me dérangeait pas trop. 2.5 étoiles

Album No. 0065 on my list. I had never heard of Neneh Cherry before; this was something completely new to me. At first, I was very positively surprised, “Buffalo Stance” is a pretty cool song. Cool hip-hop/pop combination. Sounds very much like the year it was released in (1989), but that is not necessarily a bad thing. “Manchild”, and “Kisses on the Wind” follow next, and I liked both songs as well. However, things get a little more boring and interchangeable afterwards. The pop/hip-hop sound continues and the lyrics are similar and revolve around the same concepts. To summarize: a solid pop album, glad I listened to it, especially the first parts. 3/5 stars.

*Solid R&B/Hip Hop album

I liked this more than I expected. It's nothing special, but it's fun.

Neneh is already on the back foot with me because I learned that she’s a nepo baby (her step-dad is renowned jazz multi-instrumentalist Don Cherry). She had four powerhouse producers at hand- three of which were involved in Massive Attack’s Blue Lines-to record Raw Like Sushi. And it's hip hop, a contentious genre for me. At the time of release, this album was refreshing for UK listeners. A pop centric hip hop album from a confident whippersnapper. But now? I found it to be cringe. It's definitely music of its time. Creatively and visually frivolous. One of many pieces of music that were a creative response to the highly conservative times the Brits were living in. PS, to the British press and anyone who rang the BBC to complain about seeing a very pregnant Neneh perform on Top of the Pops in 1989- shame on you. Overall: 3/10

Reminded me of michael jackson, it was alright

I get it.

So bland and plastic, couldn't wait for it to end.

Favorite Track: Buffalo Stance

Luv it since i was a teenager. Made me grow up as a strong girl. Still great album.

Et friskt pust! Kjempe in your face, masse selvtillit. Det trengte jeg i dag.

очень даже прикольно звучит. возможно чуть простовато и местами прям сильно чувствуется, что на дворе 1989 год, но в целом нормас.

"Buffalo Stance" is the best song here. The rest is rather forgettable.

Music is supposed to be evocative, to make you feel things. Well if I was reviewing albums on their ability to do that, this album would score high. Unfortunately how this album made me feel was annoyed. There were small bits where the rapping was somewhat interesting or enjoyable but the choruses, singing stole, lyrical content and backing tracks were just beyond irritating. Definitely not my style so I wouldn't expect to enjoy it, but getting through this was a genuine challenge.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting. The whole album has a corny late 80s / early 90s vibe that is incredibly dated, and yet, I kind of find it endearing; like, this kind of sounds like a John Hughes movie or something. Also, Buffalo Stance is legitimately a great song, but the quality drops off a bit after and the album is definitely dragging on by the end.

So dated it hurts. Prefer her cousin Glacé

Disappointing. I like Neneh Cherry. Loved her Homebrew album (the follow up to this one), and many of the other songs I've heard from her over the years. The The's "Slow Train To Dawn", her cover of Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man", "7 Seconds" with Youssou N'Dour. This, however, sounds like music that badly written teens from the wrong side of town would be listening to in a made for TV movie.

I could see Buffalo Stance being on the list of 1,001 Songs to hear before you die, but the full album? The rest of the album sounds like she partied like it was 1989!

Correcto

Put Buffalo Stance on a mixtape. Certified banger.

I’m sorry, who is this? I feel like I’ve at least heard of 99% of the artists on this list. The album is super fun and painfully 80s. I could do a dance class in spandex to this.

I had absolutely no idea what to expect here, but it actually did start to grow on me a bit. I struggle to understand "Buffalo Stance", specifically the buffalo aspect. "Kisses On The Wind" is a favorite on one of my weird local radio stations, so I was surprised that that one wasn't actually well-known because I totally recognized it. Overall not really my thing, but not bad.

3 not my favorite but not unlistenable

This wasn't really my thing. I'm sure it was revolutionary for its time and the feminism in its lyrics and themes was cool, but I just really didn't enjoy listening to it much and it was a slog to get through. Two stars.

Really not my thing.

That was a fun blast from the past!

very dated, not a top 1000 album imho

Tää oli aika karmeeta jotenkin. En saanut nyt yhtään otetta että mikä tässä on hyvä. 1/5

Ihan ok biisejä, mutta ehkä vähän tylsäksi käy loppua kohti.

I have actually listened to a few of the songs from this project many many years ago, and yet I never finished it. Thankfully today I finally got through this album in its' entirety and I really wish I had stuck it out all those years ago. Neneh Cherry is not an artist I am particularly familiar with, but the fact that she was a popping 80s Rap MC in a time when it wasn't common at all for women to make Rap music, she instantly stood out as somewhat of an icon in her genre. Her Boom Bap/Pop Rap style is definitely a product of its' time and yet still holds up as being a bold staple of 80s Hip Hop. The bars are fun and cheeky and never take themselves too seriously and Neneh seems to be having a lot of fun all throughout this entire project. Far from being a Hip Hop classic, but I'd say it is quite important to hear this album if you have the chance to. Nuff said.

The riff on buffalo stance is an earworm, manchild is lovely - you can hear how some of this is absolutely ahead of its time, but there's so much that is very 80s rhyming and drums...

Never liked this 80s / early 90s pop / rap sound. Very dated, very repetitive, and not at all enjoyable.

Not the worst I've heard, but overall did not like. A couple songs were ok but nothing great.

This R&B is not for me. Not bad music to say but not my thing. 2/5

This is so unneccessary. Buffalo Stance is head and shoulders the best track here, and that is really dated. I remember it being really exciting when it came out, and it’s still a good tune, but it hasn’t aged brilliantly, and I’ve never understood the weird Dick van Dyke mockney bollocks in the middle of it - “Wot is ee loike!? D’ja no worrae meen!”. Weird. The rest of the album apparently exists, but I doubt anyone pays any attention past track 1 - and an hour and a quarter for a debut album (for the CD version)? Nobody needed that. Boring album that should be over after five and three-quarter minutes.

ill forgive the goofy lyrics on here because 1. bangers 2. swedish

Passionless. I'm certain Nenah Cherry spent no time in the ghetto or the street corner. She has a relatively weak voice and limited range. But most of the songs are for 16 year old girls anyway, so it is difficult for me to relate. Simple production, monotonous and even a little cliché. Is this trying to be the English Madonna? Do we really need another Madonna? Do we even need ONE Madonna... But then I gravitate toward stuff like De-loused in the Comatorium by Mars Volta, so what does that say about my taste?

Hip-Hop, Rap

Вообще не понимаю, что это делает в этом списке. Абсолютная посредственность. В те годы девушки-рэпперы были и получше.

This album is definitely very dated, but it was upbeat and energetic so its age didn’t hinder my enjoyment. It’s not typically what I’d listen to, but that’s the entire reason I started this list in the first place.