Awich is a 38-year-old rapper from Naha, Okinawa, Japan, who introduced herself about 2 years ago on her debut EP “Inner Research” and “Asian Wish Child” respectively. She returned with her full-length debut album 8 in 2017, followed by Beat & Heart and her second album Kujaku & Partition. Queendom is good on its own, and United Queens is a nice prelude to The Union, which features one of my top ten producers for the almighty Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA on her fifth studio LP.
After the “Lotus” intro skit, lead single “Butcher Shop” featuring A$AP Ferg kicks things off with a banging intro that lets everyone indulge in raw feelings, while following the “Kaiju of Okinawa” skit, “Fear Us” featuring Joey Bada$$ finds the two coming together to talk about those who are afraid of the truth. A$AP Ferg & Lupe Fiasco’s “Wax On Wax Off” samples Meiko Kaji’s “Jeans Blues” and references The Karate Kid, but after the “Flexin’ in Shibuya” skit, MIKE and 454’s “Shibuya Flex” talks about everything they have to lose.
“Hold It Down,” starring Westside Gunn, opens the second half with references to current AEW International Champion Kazuchika Okada and the upcoming retirement of New Japan Pro Wrestling president Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 20, while “A Woman Hung Up” is about using money and dreams to become the best in Okinawa. “Ghosts of the East” takes the instrumental trap route, looking to haunt the world to its core, before the end of “Full Circle,” the final track “Noble Lies” talks about the things that make the world go round.
To make up for the delay of Juice Crew’s reunion EP Juice Crew All-Stars, Okinawa Wuman somewhat reminds me of Statik Selektah-produced Anarchy’s second EP My Mind, which celebrated its second anniversary last month, in the sense that they’re both great examples of the traditional boom bap sound that originated in New York and was refined for a Japanese emcee who’s been around for decades. Not only that, but I can’t forget to mention the celebrity guest list.
Score: 8/10
