Raw Like Sushi
Defiant, sexy, playful, nervy, womanly, and wise, 1988'sRaw Like Sushiwas 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 onRaw 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 Sushihelped 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