Awich

Akiko Urasaki, known professionally as Awich, is a Japanese rapper from Okinawa often called the «Queen of Japanese Hip-Hop.» Her stage name is an abbreviation of «Asia Wish Child,» a translation of her given Japanese name. Growing up near American military bases exposed her early to hip-hop culture, and she cites 2Pac as her formative inspiration, writing poetry as a child and rapping and recording by her early teens.

After time in the United States, where she released the independent album Asia Wish Child, Awich returned to Japan and joined the hip-hop collective YENTOWN as its sole female member, which helped push her into the mainstream. Albums like 8 and 孔雀 (Kujaku) earned critical acclaim, and her major-label debut Queendom on Universal J produced «Gila Gila,» a landmark charting single. Her music blends Okinawan identity, sharp bilingual wordplay in Japanese and English, and unapologetic, empowerment-driven lyricism.

Songs such as «WHORU?», «ASIAN STATE OF MIND» and «Bad Bitch 美学 Remix» reflect her collaborative reach across Japanese and international hip-hop, and she frequently references her Okinawan roots in tracks like «RASEN in OKINAWA.» Awich has positioned herself as both a regional voice for Okinawa and a global ambassador for Japanese rap.