Okinawa Meets Shaolin: Awich and RZA Deliver an East Coast-Inspired Masterpiece

Awich is new to me, but she has a long and visible career and history, all of which she displays and pours into each track. Born in Okinawa, Awich is a well-traveled MC, and her style is a blend of everywhere she’s been and comes from. Working alongside RZA for the entire production, they created a great blend of Japanese and U.S. East Coast Hip-Hop styles.

Awich is a mother and a widow, someone with plenty to say and get off her chest. She offers a perspective not often seen in Hip-Hop coming from Japan—that of an experienced MC—and for this project while working with RZA, she sounds extremely focused. Initially, I was mixed on some of the flows Awich was using; most of them eventually sunk in, and I ended up appreciating them more. However, there were some songs where the beat and the features had to reel me in, starting with “Butcher Shop” and A$AP Ferg. But, like I said, the more I ran this album back, the more I enjoyed those flows.

Now, don’t get me wrong: Awich can rap very well. I just wanted to give a slight warning that you may need to warm up to some songs, as I did. Tracks like “Fear Us,” “Noble Lies,” and “Ghosts of the East” all feature Awich spitting, including switching up languages in the latter song. “Fear Us” also has Awich flexing her vocals with some singing, and it sounded great. She does it a few times, but that track stood out.

Along with some top-tier features like Westside Gunn, MIKE, Joey Bada$$, and A$AP Ferg, Awich and RZA put together a great album with odes to many places, cultures, and ideas. Obviously, I have a lot to catch up on with Awich, but this is certainly a strong first impression!

Standout Tracks: “Fear Us,” “Wax On, Wax Off,” “Ghosts Of The East,” “Noble Lies”

Album Rating: 👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑 (8.5/10)