A child growing up on her home island of Okinawa, Awich would stay up through the night writing poetry and fantasizing about the island, love, and the universe. Awich, short for “Asia Wish Child” is a name she created to reflect her passions. It also happens to be the meaning of her birth name, “Akiko.” She started writing rhymes when she was 13 years old. Her first encounter with hip hop was listening to Tupac’s All Eyes on Me. Although she began learning English in a class on the U.S. military base, her primary English textbook hailed from Tupac’s lyrics, interviews, movies and books. She was featured on the album Orion Beat showcasing various artists when she was only 14 years old. In 2006, she released her debut album, EP Inner Research. She went to Atlanta to attend school that same year, during the height of the southern hip hop boom. Moving between Tokyo and Atlanta, she released her first full album Asia Wish Child in 2007. During that time, she married a New York native and gave birth to her daughter, Toyomi Jah’mira.
In 2011, she graduated from a university with a bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Marketing. Her husband was murdered in an incident right after her graduation. She returned home with her daughter and faced seemingly endless internal questioning. This intense process of introspection was cathartic and helped her reevaluate a more profound meaning of life, love, and forgiveness.

Through this healing process, she established a production company, CIPHER CITY, in her home of Okinawa. The company produces different content such as music, movies, festivals and TV shows. In 2017, the short film “Aimer” written and directed by Awich, won the Best Fantasy Short at the New Renaissance Film Festival Amsterdam. Later that year, she released a full album, her first in a decade, in partnership with Chaki Zulu. She flows freely between Japanese, Okinawan and English, piecing together a unique sound while also staying true to the lyrics. Her deep vocals generates a captivating atmosphere for listeners. Awich’s ability to submerge herself into multiple global perspectives while also adding her signature feminine touch allows her to create music that is singular but relatable across the world.

http://awich.jp

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