Neneh Cherry - Raw Like Sushi

Defiant, sexy, playful, nervy, womanly, and wise, 1988's Raw Like Sushi was the opening salvo in Neneh Cherry's brilliant, if woefully underappreciated, career. The hit "Buffalo Stance," with its reworking of Malcolm McLaren's Buffalo Gals vibe, found Cherry erroneously labeled as a rap artist. True enough, there are hip-hop elements on Raw Like Sushi, as well as pop, electronic, R&B, and dance, all gleefully mixed up in a progressive melange of beats, cultures, emotions, and grooves. Besides being fierce, funky, and one of the best debuts in memory, Raw Like Sushi helped redefine what women could do in the rigid realm of late-'80s African American music, and it sounds as good today as it did the day it was released. --Amy Linden Amazon.com

Nothing on Raw Like Sushi matches "Buffalo Stance"

I just recently heard "Buffalo Stance" on my local college radio station, and it brought back memories of the first time I heard it in back in the winter of 1989. It isn't difficult to see why this song was so popular back then; it had all the infectious grooves an excellent pop song should have. But there's a problem with the overall album of Raw Like Sushi: all the songs that surround "Buffalo Stance" don't even come close to matching its catchiness. Even the inexplicably praised "Manchild" is dull.

Find the single for "Buffalo Stance" if you can, and pick up a Salt & Pepper album as an alternative to Raw Like Sushi.

December 20, 2004

The original "spice girl".

This debut of hers may not be as impressive now, but in 1988 it was ahead of its time, and great on many levels. "Raw Like Sushi" also covers as many genres as it does topics. I still have the cassingle of "Buffalo Stance", and that song remains the best thing on here. However "Manchild" and "Kisses On The Wind" are catchy too. In fact, the album starts out very strong, then becomes too similar in the second half. But overall it's a good listen from this "Inna City Momma". April 28, 2004

Setting the template for female Urban Rap-Commentary....

Considered one of the finest female talents to emerge from the U.K (with as much social awareness as today's Ms Dynamite),Neneh was a urban role model of sorts, during the late 80's and her rhetoric was one of social Urban issues, which confronted both men & women by imploring, men to respect women & take responsibility for their sexual actions (and any offspring as a result of their sexual encounters), and for women, to recognise their importance within their community & not remain gullible personalities for men to take advantage of. A suitably tough stance of all issues granted a generation of disaffected listeners, (although the music was so dance orientated, that It was easy to forget the underlining message), and so having influenced many with her commendable insight, it fall's to Ms Dynamite to continue what Neneh first started. November 3, 2003

This is TERRIBLE... I'll be buying a copy immediately

Manchild alone is worth the price of the CD. Her music is absolutely awful and brings a tear of joy to my eye. Good luck October 31, 2003

One of my favorite albums

RAW LIKE SUSHI is the early 1990's debut album of English singer/rapper Neneh Cherry (incidentally, Neneh is the step-daughter of Jazz artist Don Cherry, and the sister of Eagle-Eye Cherry who found success recently with the hit single "Save Tonight"). She was a mix between Queen Latifah and Madonna, and her hit single "Buffalo Stance" (a song about hussling) had become a major international radio hit. It was certainly ahead of its time because it incorporated what today is almost formula: a rap verse with a singing chorus. What is remarkable is that Neneh Cherry performed both functions. Most songs that follow this formula are collaborations, assigning one talent to each genre.

Buffalo Stance is without a doubt the best song on RAW LIKE SUSHI, but there are many other gems as well. Kisses on the Wind is a fun song about the girl in the neighborhood who matured faster than everyone else, "the first girl to turn the boys on." Inner City Momma, Love Ghetto, and Phoney Ladies, are also great songs.

This was an incredibly promising debut that seemed to hint at a future superstar. I'm not sure what went wrong. What has happened to Neneh Cherry? Why isn't she still on the radio? I don't know. But I *do* know that RAW LIKE SUSHI is a great CD that anyone who likes strong women will enjoy. June 13, 2003

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