Story / Jennalynn Fung
Photographs / Jennalynn Fung, Lindsey Blane
In 2024, rap is so mainstream that it’s often appropriated, with many artists at the moment selecting to undertake the gangster aesthetic and mumbling in regards to the streets – even though they arrive from a snug house within the suburbs. Disingenuous lyrics, coupled with a detachment from Black communities and a failure to acknowledge rap’s roots in Black tradition, are all too frequent, however Awich, a Japanese feminine rapper, transmutes her real-life hardships into highly effective, old-school-reminiscent tracks on her iconic discography.
Born Akiko Urasaki in Okinawa, the poorest prefecture in Japan and topic to heavy US navy presence, she was uncovered to rap music early on. As a younger baby, she idolized Tupac, successfully studying English from his rap music.
She started writing at age 13, and performing the yr after. In 2006, when she was 18, she launched an album known as “Asian Want Baby,” which is what her artist identify – Awich – actually means in Japanese characters (エイウィッチ). Although she landed a contract with a Japanese label, she begged her dad and mom and the corporate for the chance to maneuver to america, if just for a short interval.
Picture: Lindsey Blane
At 19, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, the place she studied enterprise and advertising and marketing. Nevertheless, throughout one in every of her walks to her college, a man driving on the highway stopped close to her. He requested her the place she was going and if he may give her a journey. She refused at first, however after he struck a take care of her – he’d drive her to highschool on the situation that she spend time with him. So, she did. This man grew to become Awich’s husband, and father of her baby.
Awich grew to become built-in into the tradition and neighborhood of Atlanta past her husband, although; she was additionally a tattoo apprentice. She typically drew symbols like arms breaking free from handcuffs – this similar symbolism that imbues and characterizes her music.
Sadly, as a consequence of gang violence that her husband was concerned in, he was later jailed. Just a few months after he was launched, Awich acquired a name from her husband’s mom that he had been shot and killed, at which level Awich returned to Japan. She seems again on this time because the lowest level in her life – even her daughter knew.
“When she was three and I used to be 24, we misplaced her dad,” Awich stated solemnly. It was clear she had thought and spoken about this a part of her life many instances. “And after that, I used to be depressed – she had to assist me. She was telling everyone, ‘no, don’t trouble my mother, she’s drained.’”
Picture: Lindsey Blane
Awich says that her relationship along with her daughter was extra of a partnership from the very starting. “The method is not only me caring for her. It’s not like elevating a baby. She’s been my good friend and my primary supporter. She helped me be taught what love is and loving with out worry.” Her daughter’s unconditional help gave her a constant house to return to, and the boldness to pursue music once more. “She helped me rise up and do music once more. I promised my daughter that I’d be one of the best.”
What makes her music so spectacular compared to different artists, although, is that she hasn’t needed to undertake a persona disconnected from her actuality. She doesn’t simply rap in regards to the streets; she has lived via them, and her lyrics are imbued with the load of her experiences. Not like many artists who fabricate tales of hardship, her tales are genuine and written with unfiltered honesty. You may hear the ache, battle and braveness in her voice in songs like “Queendom,” “THE UNION,” “Keep in mind ft. Younger Juju,” and “RASEN IN OKINAWA” as she addresses themes of affection, loss and empowerment.
“You can see the battle, and also you’ll discover a option to overcome it. I discuss it in my music and that’s why persons are gravitating in direction of it — as a result of this [song] is [about] my life.” Her resilience and willpower is an providing of camaraderie and solidarity along with her listeners who may be experiencing hardship.
At this time, she calls her followers her queendom. Relatively than viewing herself as a queen solely by way of energy or superiority, although, she sees herself as accountable for defending and serving others. For Awich, a queen is somebody who supplies an area for individuals to be themselves. “There’s no queen or king with out the individuals.”
Picture: Jennalynn Fung
To start with, she was hesitant to undertake the time period, however she realized she may dedicate her time and vitality for not solely Okinawan artists, however feminine rappers in Japan and Asia. “We’re inspiring one another to lift the platform,” as she did in her observe “Unhealthy Bitch Bigaku Remix” which featured NENE, LANA, MaRI, AI, and YURIYAN RETRIEVER. What’s extra, she did a Korean rendition of the identical music with Korean feminine rappers. “I needed to trick my mind,” she laughs, reflecting on rapping in a 3rd language.
She continues to encourage her personal daughter, who now seeks to develop into a performer. She has even danced on Awich’s tour. “She kills it each time,” the rapper beams. “She’s such an awesome performer, and he or she desires to discover ways to write music and learn how to sing. She’s taking classes.” Awich and her daughter even wrote two songs collectively on her albums.
Phrases have energy for Awich. She talks about how harnessing each English and Japanese in her music helps her get throughout subliminal messages. “I feel languages have persona of [their] personal, and it impacts the personalities of the individuals who dwell in [that] language space.” She believes Japanese is an oblique language, whereas English is the alternative. “I take advantage of English once I need to be direct.” When she desires to be metaphorical, symbolic and depart issues as much as interpretation, she makes use of Japanese. The seamless mix of the music displays her personal bicultural experiences and broadened creative perspective, and makes it much more fascinating that she is intentionally creating two albums – one for Japan, and one for america.
Changing into in tune with how language impacts world interplay is likely one of the the explanation why Awich funds a pupil program with Okinawa children – she goals to offer 100 children the chance to remain and be taught the language from English-speaking households inside the prefecture. “You may expertise what it’s prefer to dwell and communicate English or assume [in] English,” she says. Three of the 100 college students additionally will get the prospect to go to Atlanta for a month. The rapper believes within the significance of this program as a result of English expands your world – past America, “to totally different locations on the planet and talk with individuals in English.”
Uplifting her neighborhood and creating legacies to be handed on appears to be second nature for Awich. Every part she does could be traced again a number of generations. She has her personal sake, Habush, which has the venom of a pit viper infused into it (minus the venom). “It’s Okinawan custom as a result of it was a toxic snake that used to harm our households and the animals that we hold. So, we needed to kill them. However as Okinawan individuals, now we have to make one thing out of nothing type-people. It’s like taking what hurts us – Okinawans imagine it might give them the facility to be stronger.”
This willpower to beat is so constructed into Okinawan tradition that there’s a frequent saying – nankurunaisa (なんくるないさ) which means: “it is going to be no matter it is going to be.” Awich says that when she first moved again to Japan and determined to make music once more, she had her moments of self-doubt. However, she would at all times inform herself: “no matter occurs, it’s okay, as a result of there’s no proper or fallacious.”
Picture: Jennalynn Fung
Writing bestows the identical energy – to show nothing into one thing visceral and palpable to others. Awich revealed that in her time as a rising artist, it was her writing that reigned in her religion in self. “Maintaining a diary performs an enormous half,” she says. “It’s so essential for understanding your self. , individuals discuss self-love, however you may’t love your self in the event you don’t perceive your self. If you happen to don’t know what you need, or in the event you don’t know what you need to do, what you don’t like and actually love…” her voice trails off, as if searching for the English phrase to speak the larger image that she sees in her thoughts. “You need to have a look at your self from a birds eyes [view]. You bought to grasp your course of as a complete. Writing it down and it offers you that perspective, and then you definitely perceive – I actually love this.”
Past writing, Awich’s drawings throughout her tattoo apprenticeship, and the designs she gravitates in direction of, present her pursuit of significant impression and longevity. She has no ink at the moment, however states that when she is “wrinkly,” she is going to get the standard Okinawan girls’s hand tattoos, as if a tribute to the sturdy girls who got here earlier than her.
Generations from now, it’s probably that ladies past Okinawa will aspire to be the rapper, position mannequin, and Queen that Awich empowers everybody to be in her music and each day life.
