Bringing Okinawa on the Map of Japanese Rap: the Power of Awich
Awich is one of the driving forces in the Japanese hip-hop scene, and saying she’s one of the best rappers in the game is simply an understatement.
She’s singlehandedly reconstructing its standards while maintaining rap’s old-school class.
Behind daunting and bold lyrics, this Okinawa-native has a complex and bittersweet backstory. Growing up in the southern part of the Japanese archipelago, she was born Akiko Urasaki in 1986. Awich grew up exposed to a lot of American culture since she lived near its military bases, as well as from avidly listening to the war stories from her family, and describes that she shared admiration and distrust for this far-away country. Her mixed feelings deeply affected and inspired her from a young age.
Awich recalls getting her initiation to rap from a local record store in middle school. With her eyes closed, she picked out an album that would mark her forever: All Eyez On Me by Tupac. Since then, hip-hop’s lyricism is her way of living. At 19, she moved to Atlanta to pursue her studies and there she met her husband with whom she had a daughter.
Tragedy ensued, and Awich faced the unfair loss of her husband due to gun violence. This terrible incident pushed her to move back with her daughter to her hometown, and, after the closure of spreading the ashes of her lover in the beautiful ocean that surrounds Okinawa, she dived deep into music.
Proudly Okinawan, Awich is the epitome of an accomplished artist; she’s fearless and empowering, as well as sensitive and poetic. More than just being well-rounded, Awich is strong in her stance for equality and justice for everyone regardless of constructs like race and gender.
At the moment, she’s based in Tokyo and is part of the label YENTOWN, which manages the best rappers in Japan, like kZm and MonyHorse. In this industry, women are rarely seen, but Awich is creating a wave of self-made female hip hop artists and inspiring all kinds of artists. Her recent hit GILA GILA is representative of her bilingual style and unmatched flow, and Tsubasa, of her tenderness and storytelling.
About the Author:
Mizuki Khoury
Born in Montreal, based in Tokyo. Sabukaru’s senior writer and works as an artist under Exit Number Five.
