We’re kicking off Women’s History Month with powerful music from Asian women—stay tuned for our Spotify playlist this weekend.
Meanwhile, head into the weekend with this week’s standout hip hop and R&B music from Asia, and make sure to add your favorites to your playlist.
Words by MC Galang and Sofia Guanzon
Amazumi – RIOT EP
Belgium-based Nepalese rapper Amazumi first caught our attention with her incendiary, balls-to-the-wall 2019 track, “HADOUKEN!” and we’re pleased to report her debut industrial hip hop EP, RIOT, is every bit explosive. From the serrated intro “X” to the smashing closer “DO YOU WANT TO ESCAPE”–RIOT feels unflappably appropriate. — MG
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Stream below:
Rap Against Dictatorship – “บ้านเกิดเมืองนอน” (Homeland)
“What’s the solution when our future’s being sacrificed,” Rap Against Dictatorship demands answers and wages for collective action in their latest track, “Homeland.” This also marks the return of the hip hop collective’s roster after facing a number of issues, including challenging their government regarding the latter’s “legal complaint” against their 2020 track, “ปฏิรูป” (Reform), which is currently inaccessible in YouTube Thailand.
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Prominent member HOCKHACKER has also publicly shared last year that his passport was revoked and that he received warnings of alleged state-sponsored hacking attempts.
Rap Against Dictatorship Returns With ‘Homeland’
Of the track, Rap Against Dictatorship passionately affirms its stance against the junta (“The old and new generation can’t ever coexist / Under a military government dictated by senile generals”). They shared, “Homeland does not belong to one person, and it shouldn’t be used by one generation as a tool of patriotism to push people to see things differently. But in an era where the gap between generations of Thai people is more, we have forgotten that this land belongs to all Thai people. This homeland belongs to Thai people of all generations, always and forever. ALL PEOPLE UNITE.”
The group has acknowledged challenges in making music. HOCKHACKER wrote on a March 2 post on Facebook that “Homeland” will be their only song this year. “I don’t know when we will be able to make music again. It’s harder to get together. We have to meet and talk less. And I have to focus on the main work and earn money to take care of the family life. So please follow the song #บานเกิดเม เมืององนอน. And this year there won’t be anymore. Let’s talk again next year.” — MG
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WILYWNKA – “Don’t Forget” ft. ISSUGI
There’s an immense, unexplainable warmth in Japanese rapper WILYWNKA’s “Don’t Forget.” Helmed by producer tofubeats (a personal favorite), “Don’t Forget” memorializes the rapper’s aspirations, from his humble beginnings and the uphill climb to success. The track is off his recently released album, NOT FOR RADIO. — MG
Bang Yongguk – “Up”
For the unfamiliar, South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter, and former leader of K-pop group BAP Bang Yongguk’s sensual Black Swan-esque music video for “Up” is just as much of an introduction to the singer’s inner world as it is to longtime fans.
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Bang Yongguk of B.A.P. Proves His Versatility In Sophomore Album, ‘[2]’
The video oscillates between scenes featuring ballerina dancers dressed in black balaclavas to the artist bound to a bed blindfolded while he performs his most sensual track yet. Stripping himself off the traditional, sanitized lyricism, trading synchronized choreography for understated stillness, the artist allows himself to unveil a richer, more mature sound while tapping into underexplored visual narratives that deliver his brand-new undertakings as a solo artist. – SG
Jud Flores – “Body Bag”
Hong Kong-based Filipino singer Jud Flores explores the possibilities of R&B driven-retro pop music popularized by artists like The Weeknd in recent years. Written, produced, mixed, and mastered by Flores himself, his latest single, “Body Bag,” is a decadent dance-pop-R&B offering that boasts pop diva stylings a la Ariana Grande and Mariah Carey’s soaring riffs. The result? A track that keeps things exciting and the audience clamoring for what’s in store in the future. – SG
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Awich – “Queendom”
Japanese female rapper Awich narrates the gripping story of her life in her most vulnerable track yet, “Queendom,” the lead single off her latest album of the same. In the single, the Okinawan native poignantly illustrates how queendom means freedom to her, as she outlines her struggles as a single mother after her partner was fatally shot years ago.
The rapper also features her daughter in the video, interspersing home videos of her family as she traces the roots of her pain. It reveals her journey to coming to peace with her past and owning her history. Awich reveals that Queendom is more than just a state of mind; one can achieve it by embracing and actualizing one’s freedom.
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The track ends with her fiercely declaring: “I’ve run through the rocky road / To stand on this stage.” For Awich, it seems like she’s only just beginning. – SG
Header image: Collage from press images and artists’ YouTube/Instagram accounts
