Awich is a 38 12 months previous rapper from Naha, Okinawa, Japan introducing herself virtually 2 a long time in the past off her debut EP Inner Research & Asian Wish Child respectively. She returned in 2017 with the full-length debut 8, which she would observe up by placing out Beat & Heart in addition to her sophomore effort Kujaku & Partition. Queendom was high-quality for what it was & United Queens was a good prelude to The Union, enlisting one in every of my prime 10 producers of all-time RZA of the almighty Wu-Tang Clan for her fifth studio LP.
After the “Lotus” introductory skit, the lead single “Butcher Shop” that includes A$AP Ferg units all of it off with a growth bap opener giving it to y’all as uncooked as desired whereas “Fear Us” that includes Joey Bada$$ after the “Kaiju of Okinawa” skit finds the two coming collectively to speak about these afraid of the reality. “Wax On Wax Off” by A$AP Ferg & Lupe Fiasco samples “Jeans Blues” by Meiko Kaji referencing The Karate Kid however after the “Flexin’ in Shibuya” skit, “Shibuya Flex” that includes MIKE & 454 talks about them having to lose all of it.
“Hold It Down” that includes Westside Gunn begins the 2nd half referencing the present AEW International Champion Kazuchika Okada set to retire New Japan Pro-Wrestling president Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 20 whereas “A Woman Hung Up” talks about being the best out of Okinawa with a greenback & a dream. “Ghosts of the East” takes the entice route instrumentally seeking to hang-out the world to their bones & previous to the “Full Circle” outro, the ultimate tune “Noble Lies” talks in regards to the very factor that makes the world go round.
To make up for the Juice Crew’s reunion EP getting pushed again, Okinawan Wuman kinda jogs my memory of Anarchy’s 2nd EP My Mind produced by Statik Selektah celebrating it’s 2-year anniversary final month within the sense that each are high-quality examples of the normal growth bap sound originating in New York refined for a Japanese emcee who’s been round for a few a long time already. Not solely that, however I can’t neglect to say the stellar visitor listing both.
Score: 8/10