Japan’s rap queen Awich champions cross-border collabs, wants to work with Pinoy acts
MANILA, Philippines — Japanese hip-hop queen Awich is in full collab mode, dropping back-to-back high-profile releases that show Asian hip-hop isn’t just crossing borders — it’s connecting artists who bring not only their voices, but their cultures into the mix.
Early this year, Awich came out with the pan-Asian anthem Asian State of Mind, which saw Jay Park (South Korea), KR$NA (India), VannDa (Cambodia) and Masiwei (China) joining forces.
She kept the momentum going by dropping early this month, Butcher Shop, which features New York rap legend FERG and is produced by none other than RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan.
She’s looking to collaborate with even more artists, with Filipino acts on her radar.
She asked this writer for recommendations during a virtual chat.
“I wanna see more cross-cultural collaborations… I would love to see that everywhere. I wanna collaborate with a Filipino artist. I need you to give me some suggestions. Can you give me some suggestions?” she said.
Top of mind, I mentioned EZ Mil who is signed up with the music label of Eminem and Dr. Dre.
“Oh, I know EZ Mil. Well, I don’t know him, but I know of him. Everybody talks about him. Yes, I’ll definitely check him out. But yeah, yeah I am (familiar with him). I mean, if ever anybody wanna talk about the Philippines’ rap scene right now, they will say his name,” she said.
Besides that, she also spoke about her own place in the global music scene and how she juggles multiple roles that include being a mother.
Here’s my interview with the Okinawa-born artist, whose name is short for Asia Wish Child.
First of all, I want to know what inspired you to bring together these hip-hop powerhouses from Asia for your track Asian State of Mind?
“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do… because that’s what I’ve been doing with Japanese artists… or Japanese female artists — to bring them together to kind of show unity.
“Of course, inside of the market — the Asian music market — we know who they are and we know the differences, the specifics and the details. But from outside looking in, they may not not know what the Asian rap scene is looking like today. This is just to give them an idea of what is really going on in today’s Asian rap scene. I wanted to create this song with the best of the best in Asia.”
As an artist who has always embraced your roots, what does the phrase “Asian state of mind” mean to you?
“To me, coming from Okinawa, it means to live with nature… We live inside of nature and we have to co-exist and we have to really understand how small we are and we have to appreciate how everything is aligned for us to be able to live on this Earth, in this type of environment…
“I feel like that big perspective of living side by side with nature… going to the ocean or going to the jungle where you encounter that grand power, it puts you back in your place. It eases your stress — like what are you stressing about, it’s not that serious, we’re just this small part of Earth.
“So, it gives me that perspective. It gives me that humility…. that’s what makes me humble and that’s what keeps me going. That’s what the Asian State of Mind does for me.”
You’ve performed all over the world (including debuting on the Coachella stage last year). But what sets Asian hip-hop apart on the global stage?
“Asian hip-hop is different because — of course, we have different styles and all that — but in its base, we have the eastern way of living. (Like what I just said), the humility or like the coexistence with nature, the yin and the yang, the zen mind and the martial arts, the Asian and Eastern philosophers. All of that stuff — it attracts the rest of the world.
“We could see that in the movies, in the people who are learning martial arts, in the anime and comics… It shows that humans are attracted to the eastern way of living today. We as Asians have that to offer to the world.”
You’re balancing multiple roles. How are you able to do that?
“(I have a) team helping me. Me knowing what I’m really good and what I’m not good at and telling that to the people around me honestly. Like I’m not good at keeping track with time at all. I’m not good at keeping track of money but knowing that and owning up to that, I have a system that helped me. I have a gatekeeper, I have a timekeeper… You have to work with people.
“I tell my mom this, because my mom is so bad at like asking for help. A lot of women, a lot of mothers, in Japan at least, are bad at asking for help. Like I can’t do this anymore, I’m bad with this right now, can you help me? I feel like we as women, we just have to tell them and we also have to help each other and help each other to grow.”
For aspiring female hip-hop artists, what can they learn from your success story?
“Know yourself. That’s definitely the No. 1 thing that you have to do. I mean look at me. I started out breaking into the world when I was 30 years old. I debuted when I was 19 but nobody even cared.
“So, if I was still trying to not own up to the fact that I’m in my 30s, I’m a widow, I’m a mother, I’ve experienced what I experienced and I come from Okinawa, a place where nobody probably didn’t know before that we started rapping so hard. All the rappers in Japan are rapping so hard now. But nobody probably even knew… Me being so honest to who I am, owning up to that, my stories and yeah, I'm not young and pretty, but this is my story. This is what I have to offer.
“And then you know, somebody will embrace that; somebody needs to hear what I’m saying. So don’t try to be anything else other than yourself. Just know what’s special about you, like deep inside you, deep, deep inside your heart, your story and your life… and always remind yourself that you’re special. Go through that process like every day if you can.”
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