's actions throughout the early to mid-'80s indicated boundless creative energy and an instinct to mix it up. She wasn't yet out of her teens by the time she had performed and/or recorded with stepfather and younger mavericks , , and , and had spun early rap records on pirate radio. A little later, in 1987, she seized the mike on a version of 's "Looking Good Diving." The next year, the track was revamped into 's first solo power move, aided by ' vibrating and colorful mix of sampled, scratched, played, and programmed sounds dropped with astonishing precision. At once a personal manifesto and celebration and critique of city-street peacocking -- a hip-hop quotable is in every rhyme and interjection -- "Buffalo Stance" entered the U.K. chart in December 1988 and went supernova on a worldwide scale early the following year. The full scope of 's vision was shown almost smack in the middle of 1989 with . With songwriting partner and fellow arranger/producer at her side, in sly, knowing fashion conducts a combined gender studies and sociology course doubling as a cosmopolitan pop triumph. Switching with masterful ease between assured singing and rapping -- no features necessary -- covers matters ranging from the consequences of lust to the devaluation of children. More often, she examines from multiple perspectives the ways in which men and women exploit one another, softening each blow with either a degree of benevolence or whatcha-gonna-do-about-it humor. Among the other accomplices are , as well as and of , a crew who altogether fill the hip-hop-minded LP with elements of go-go, Latin freestyle, and new jack swing, and foreshadow what was later termed trip-hop. Not easily classifiable as a whole, is one of the most soulful and "hip-hop" albums considered neither R&B nor rap. ~ Andy Kellman