Awich
, known professionally as , is an Okinawan hip hop artist. She made her major label debut with Universal Music Japan in 2020. Her stage name is short for "Asian wish child," which is the literal meaning of the Japanese characters in her given name. Early life and education Awich was born in Naha, Okinawa on December 16, 1986. Because Okinawa is home to many U.S. military bases, Awich was exposed to American culture at an early age. As a young girl, she idolized Tupac and credits Tupac songs with helping her learn English. She wrote her first lyrics at age 13, and gave her first public hip hop performance at age 14. At age 19, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where she met and married an American husband and gave birth to a daughter. She also earned a bachelor's degree in business and marketing from the University of Indianapolis in 2011. However, her husband was incarcerated and later was murdered after his release from prison, at which point Awich returned to Japan with her daughter. Career Awich made her musical debut in Japan prior to her move to the United States. In 2006, she independently released an album titled