Awich

BIOGRAPHY

Awich (born Akiko Urasaki in Naha, Okinawa, December 16, 1986) grew up near U.S. military bases, idolizing Tupac and learning English through his lyrics. She wrote her first rhymes at 13 and performed live at 14. At 19 she moved to Atlanta, married, had a daughter, and earned a business and marketing degree from the University of Indianapolis. After her husband's death, she returned to Japan and joined the hip-hop collective Yentown in 2017 as its only female member, releasing albums and EPs before signing to Universal Music Japan's Universal J in 2020. Her 2022 major-label debut Queendom made her the first female rapper to headline a solo concert at Nippon Budokan. She has since collaborated with RZA, A$AP Ferg, and Joey Bada$$, gained global attention with the viral single "Gila Gila," and performed at Coachella in 2024. The GRAMMY Museum has called her "the queen of Japanese hip-hop."

WHY THEY'RE COOL

Awich fuses old-school hip-hop grit with deeply personal storytelling, drawing from a life that spans Okinawa, Atlanta, and profound personal loss. Her rise from Yentown's sole female member to the first woman to headline Nippon Budokan solo marks a landmark in Japanese hip-hop history. With guest turns from RZA, A$AP Ferg, and Joey Bada$$, plus a Coachella appearance and the viral hit "Gila Gila," she's become a genuinely global voice, praised by the GRAMMY Museum as embodying hip-hop's cultural vitality.

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