Japanese hip-hop Queen Awich released her newest album ‘The Union’. This is her latest album since her previous LP ‘Queendom’ was released on March 4, 2022 and ‘United Queens EP’ that was released earlier this year, which included an all-female set of featured artists.
The title track, “The Union”, which is also the name of her first Japanese arena headline show on November 5th, sets the theme throughout the 12-track album. Already released singles “RASEN in OKINAWA” which introduces other Okinawan rappers like Tsubaki, OZworld, CHICO CARLITO and “Bad Bitch Bigaku Remix” featuring NENE (Yurufwa Gang) LANA, MaRI, AI, and YURIYAN RETRIEVER have received much critical acclaim. Also included is the song “Kuchi Ni Dashite 2 (Say It All 2)”, produced by KM, which is a sequel to the single “Kuchi Ni Dashite” that was released in the last album ‘Queendom’ . There are also songs featuring artists like GADORO and BIM, and production from Trill Dynasty, STUTS, Jigg, and sty which showcases her diversity in sonics.
Photo: Takashi Murata
Awich, short for “Asia Wish Child,” taken from her birth name “Akiko,” is a name she created to reflect her roots. A child growing up on her home island of Okinawa, Awich would stay up through the night writing poetry about varieties of things such as love, life, the universe, and more. Her first encounter with hip-hop was listening to Tupac’s ‘All Eyez on Me’ when she was 13 and began writing rhymes and learning to rap. By the time she turned 14, she was rapping and recording on cassette tapes. She relocated to Atlanta to attend college and during her time stateside, she married and gave birth to her daughter. In 2011, her husband was murdered which led Awich to return to Japan with her young daughter in tow, having to deal with the aftermath of this tragedy. The intense process of introspection during this period was cathartic and helped her to find profound meaning in life, love, and forgiveness.
Awich has since risen above her circumstances and channelled her experiences into art, evolving into the “badass female rapper” (Flaunt Magazine) that we see today. She flows freely between English, Japanese, and Okinawan, enchanting millions of fans with her deep vocals and effortless cadence.
Earlier this year, she performed at the very first iteration of Rolling Loud Thailand alongside artists like Cardi B, Lil Uzi Vert, and many more. Not only is she known as Japan’s hip-hop queen – Awich’s status as a fashion icon also reigns supreme. She has been featured on international outlets such as VOGUE, Hypebae, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, and more.
Following the release of ‘The Union’, Awich will be releasing an album in English in early 2024 with US touring to follow.
Fans can listen to ‘The Union’ here: music.empi.re/theunion.
