Happy 35th Anniversary to Neneh Cherry’s debut album Raw Like Sushi, originally released June 5, 1989.
When hip-hop celebrated its 50th year in 2023, the spotlight was thrown, predominately, on US artists who either helped shape the artform or became breakthrough stars. But, as with any genre, there will be outliers who created lasting ripples instead of splashy waves, but whose influence is still felt today.
Neneh Cherry is one of these artists. Not overly heralded in the hip-hop scene outside of the U.K., but her breakthrough album Raw Like Sushi swept through 1989 with a bubbling uncurrent of soul, funk and an emerging cross-genre feel. With production partners in crime, Cameron McVey, Tim Simeon, Mark Saunders, and Johnny Dollar, Cherry crafted a collection of songs that utilizes samples, programmed and played sounds that draw from multiple genres and influences.
From album opener “Buffalo Stance” to the final sounds of “So Here I Come,” Cherry presents as a modern confident female rapper that isn’t afraid to call out the typical machismo of the mid to late ‘80s hip-hop scene. Less concerned with clout, wild boasts, and peacocking, Cherry focuses on the inner workings of relationships and self-identity, and casts her eyes beyond her block to a broader social consciousness.
Cherry also switches between stylistic and soulful singing and her observant rapping with ease, being one of the first rap artists to do so with equal measures of talent and finesse. This became first evident on the precursor to her breakthrough hit “Buffalo Stance,” which started life as a B-side remix of Morgan McVey’s underground hit “Looking Good Diving.” Refashioned and stripped raw with a harder edge, “Buffalo Stance” blends hip-hop beats with a greater pop sensibility. Assertive and playful, Cherry’s delivery challenges and entices, culminating in the materialistic peacocking putdown of the chorus which became a moment of empowerment and an instant classic.
Listen to the Album & Watch the Official Videos:
Mixing the rough with the smooth, Cherry’s follow up “Manchild” steers us to a more introspective vibe with an early seeding of trip-hop as the mood shifts down to more soulful arrangements. Emotive and reflective, Cherry delves into themes of vulnerability and the added pressures of growing up against an evocative and haunting chorus that pleads for some resilience to be found.
Coming of age themes are present throughout the album, none more so than on the album’s third track and final single, the playful and Latin-fused “Kisses on the Wind.” Looking at the emerging power a woman has as she transitions into adulthood, Cherry’s tender and spirited delivery helps propel the track with a carefree nature, as she steps further into a pop feel.
One of the more innovative marks of Raw Like Sushi is its genre-hopping, as it mixes straight up classic hip-hop tracks like “The Next Generation” and “Heart” against more soulful offerings in the form of “Love Ghetto” and “Phoney Ladies,” showcasing Cherry’s breadth as a singer, rapper, and composer.
Similarly, the final two tracks—the sample heavy “Outré Risqué Locomotive” and “So Here I Come”—push further into the emerging sounds of new jack swing, dance, and house and round out the album as a journey of moods and sounds.
Thirty-five years on, Raw Like Sushi still entertains and keeps you engaged as it twists and turns in its journey. Some of the rap cadence and flow now might feel rudimentary, but it’s all forgivable for the power that is contained within, especially in the standout and defining moments of “Manchild” and “Buffalo Stance.” It also acted as the perfect introduction to an artist who has continued to create moving and insightful music over the expanse of her multi-decade career.
Listen: