AWICH

Given name : Akiko Urasaki

Date of birth : December 16, 1986

Label : Yentown Tokyo – Universal Music Japan

About Awich

Awich is a rapper from Okinawa. At age 13, she wrote several poems about love and took the name Awich, a combination of three words: Asia, Wish, and Child. She studied English at a school next to an American military base. She discovered hip-hop culture by listening to the album All Eyez On Me by rapper Tupac. In 2006, Awich released her first EP, Inner Research, followed by the EP Dedicate to You. She then moved to Atlanta to continue her studies. In 2007, she released another complete project entitled Asia Wish Child. She married an American and gave birth to a daughter during this period. Four years later, she earned a university degree in entrepreneurship and marketing but had to return to Japan with her daughter after her husband was murdered.

After a difficult period, Awich created a production company, CIPHER CITY, in Okinawa. This company produces content such as music, films, festivals, and television shows. In 2017, she released another album entitled 8, produced in partnership with beatmaker Chaki Zulu. The videos for the tracks WHORU? And REMEMBER, which has accumulated more than 15 million views, has increased her popularity throughout Japan. Critics, increasingly numerous, appreciate her style, where she freely uses Japanese and English, creating a unique sound while remaining faithful to the lyrics. Her deep voice creates a captivating atmosphere for listeners.

Several projects arrived in 2018: a single entitled What You Want with IO and EPs allowed HEART and BEAT. Two years later, Awich made a stunning comeback by unveiling two albums, KUJAKU (孔雀) in 2020 with several other Japanese artists as guests, and Partition, which allowed her to sign a contract with UNIVERSAL, increasing her popularity beyond Japan’s borders.