RASEN in OKINAWA drops with Awich, poet, leading the verses. Tsubaki, songwriter, writes a steady groove, and OZworld, lyricist, adds rap lines. CHICO CARLITO, performer, sings the hook. Diego, composer, prepares a beat that echoes island drums. The track appears on THE UNION, an album that unifies their voices.
Released: March 15, 2023
RASEN in OKINAWA
Awich | Tsubaki • From “THE UNION”
RASEN in OKINAWA Lyrics Meaning Awich | Tsubaki | THE UNION
Awich, poet, mentions a jasmine turning into a thorn to describe how love can sharpen pain. The line ‘Everything you see is a trap’ says surface views hide deeper struggle. Tsubaki, songwriter, writes about bicycles racing through sunrise streets. The chorus by CHICO CARLITO, performer, repeats the island chant that sparks defiance.
Deigo no hana ga saki kaze o yobi arashi kita marude The BoomThe ‘Okinawan jasmine’ flowers bloom and call the wind; a storm’s coming just like the band ‘The Boom’.
Diego ni atta toki la de shimauta o kikasetaraWhen I met Diego and played him an ‘island song’ from my laptop,
Oohh what the f#ck is thathe was like, ‘Oh, what the f#ck is that?’
Tte natte sugu ni ryori shita beatand then he cooked up this beat right away.
Shima ni mochikaette send it to tsubakiI took it back to the island and sent it to Tsubaki.
De chico sore ni ozworld ga nokkatteThen Chico and OZworld jumped on the track,
Jakku suru kimi no miminow we’re hijacking your ears.
Yaru watta ni shika dekinai musicThis is music that only ‘we’ can make.
Kizon no michi ga nakutemo do itEven if there’s no established path, just do it.
Shippai wa seiko no motoFailure is the foundation of success.
Honto ni seiko no hantai ni aru no wa nannimo yaranai kotoThe true opposite of success is simply doing nothing at all.
Oki to the nawaFrom Oki to the Nawa.
Me ni mieru mono wa subete ga wanaEverything you see is a trap.
Yall b#tches can hate me if you wannaYou b#tches can hate me if you want,
Dakedo sakaraenai watashi ni wabut you can’t go against me.
Or my brothers or my daughter or any of my familyOr my brothers, or my daughter, or any of my family.
Jama suru yatsu ni wa tekikaku sochi oI’ll take proper measures against anyone who gets in our way.
Kienai to gyaku ni mendoi yoIf you don’t disappear, it’s gonna get annoying,
Hanasu koto ni naru ore no bengoshi toand you’ll end up talking to my lawyer.
Kick suru basu panchi suru rainKicking the bass and punching the lines.
Tenshin mitaku make o shiranaiLike the fighter ‘Tenshin’, I don’t know defeat.
Ima trouble makerRight now, I’m a trouble maker,
Kakumeikaa revolutionary.
Nemutta tami mezamesaseru wake upI’m waking up the sleeping people; wake up.
Top de iru mae ni dope ni ikiru nikiBefore I reached the top, I lived a dope life, bro.
Binboninn no cigar wa nazedaka koi boyA poor man’s cigar somehow tastes stronger, boy.
Shageki soten sono kurikaeshiAim and load; I just keep repeating it.
Buppanashita bun dake mitashite kita zeniI’ve filled my pockets with cash for every shot I’ve fired.
Hito o keotoshi ikinokoru dake no jinsei ni kachi gaIn a life spent just kicking others down to survive,
Aru no kais there really any value?
Maji no doubtI really doubt it.
Wakasa ni makase bakasawagi shiteitaI used to party hard, fueled by my youth.
Chikyu marugoto shikenkanThe whole Earth is my test tube.
Chii to meiyo rapperStatus, honor, and being a rapper—
Subete sutete hadakaI threw it all away to stand here naked.
Kuchi o tsuite deta fuman ga ore no shokisobiThe complaints that spilled from my mouth were my starting gear.
Ore wa kuni o motanai king tonari ni queenI’m a king without a country, with a queen by my side.
B to da boy roots to oshaberiB-boy, talking with my roots.
Ruru ga nai no ga ruru saThe only rule is that there are no rules.
Bumu ga sattemo ashita asatte moEven after the hype fades, tomorrow and the day after,
Seiko wa itami ni taenuita mono dake ga ererusuccess is only for those who’ve endured the pain.
Omae no sono me ni nani ga mieruWhat do you see with those eyes of yours?
Genjitsu tohi no saki no genjitsuThe reality that waits beyond escaping from reality.
Nangi wa yusen surubekarazuDon’t prioritize your hardships.
Taida o maite sora ni flyShake off the laziness and fly into the sky.
Shinjitsu o miru ore no eyesMy eyes see the truth.
Yaru koto yatte ai no hanashiDo what needs to be done, then talk about love.
Yaritakunai koto yatte kane no hanashiDo what you hate, then talk about money.
Represent meI represent myself.
Everyday rollinRolling every single day.
Stone or diamondStone or diamond,
Dochira ni seyo okimari deshoit’s already been decided either way, right?
Chu nu hanashi ya ippe umussanPeople’s stories are so very interesting.
Yuttai nu mabuya ga kuduchi sundoThe spirits are chanting a ‘traditional island song’.
Tabi no hajimari wa minami kunu shima niThe journey starts here on this southern island.
Ochiru inabikari uchina ga hakobuneLightning strikes; ‘Okinawa’ is the ark.
Odoridasu kachashi warabiThe children start dancing the ‘festive folk dance’.
Oji to oba to senzo kamigamiGrandpas, grandmas, ancestors, and the gods.
Watashi watashi tamashii wa tabi motomeru aiMe, myself—my soul’s on a journey seeking love.
Wa nani manabiWhat have I learned?
Uchina dragon’sThe Okinawan dragons.
Moete wa hai naruThey burn until they turn to ash.
Eternal fire de agaru burn upRising with eternal fire, burn it up.
Tida wa marude hikaru bidamaThe ‘sun’ is like a shining glass marble.
Akanbo wa takara ichiban shija saA baby’s a treasure, the most important ‘priority’ of all.
Nii-san nee-san toWith big brothers and big sisters,
Wake up no eiga sait’s like a movie where we all wake up.
Tanoshinda mon kachiThe one who has the most fun wins.
Asobi ga make my lifePlay is what makes my life.
Shindemo dose mata raise de aimashoEven if we die, we’ll meet again in the next life anyway.
Rasen egaite ue ni takaku noboruDrawing a spiral as we climb higher and higher.
Watta shimanchu waWe ‘islanders’—
Naitemo warau chi de chi arawazuwe smile even when we cry; we don’t wash blood with blood.
Sake nonde nagasu nee-san no habush oDrinking away the pain with big sister’s ‘snake liquor’.
Nonde yopparau kuyui mo hajimaruDrinking and getting drunk; tonight begins again.
Utage daze sawwaIt’s a banquet, cheers!
Sassa ii ya sasa‘Sassa ii ya sasa’!
Watta pita pansaWe’re the Peter Pans.
Nihon chizu no hashi no naha-shi kara hasshinBroadcasting from Naha City at the edge of Japan’s map.
Tokyo wa biru no machi orion wa anmanaiTokyo’s a city of buildings; there’s no ‘Orion beer’ here.
Myoji to namari de barechau hankagaiMy surname and accent give me away in the downtown district.
Sorosoro sareru kamo machibuse paparacchiThe paparazzi might be lying in wait for me soon.
Wo shi chico tsubogawa heroI’m Chico, the hero of Tsubogawa.
Taipei ikitee yoI really wanna go to Taipei.
Ore ga carlito papacitoI’m Carlito, the ‘papacito’.
Fuetekita amigosMy ‘amigos’ have increased.
Zendaibimon no suankoAn unprecedented ‘winning mahjong hand’.
Densetsu no pokemonA legendary Pokemon.
Anego kara no feromonPheromones from the big sister.
Akaku saseru doraemonMaking even Doraemon blush red.
Tsuji de hachiawase tsujitsuma awaseA chance meeting in Tsuji, making the stories align.
Zamami no umi maji de kurisuchan rassenZamami’s sea really looks like a ‘Christian Lassen’ painting.
Furisuta dake nara urifutatsu janeIf it’s just freestyle, we aren’t identical.
Ore rashichatteru insuta baeI’m being myself, looking good for the ‘gram.
Tsubasa o hirogete sekai o kaerushiI’m spreading my wings and changing the world.
Tsuba hakitsuzuke warudo waidoI’ll keep spitting bars worldwide.
Redbull no anken mo zenbu kuria shita zeI’ve cleared all the Red Bull projects.
Himajin wa mitoke adaruto saitoYou lazy people can just go watch adult sites.
YeahYeah.
Yana waraba mo ki ni naru mama kono oto naniEven the ‘naughty kids’ are curious, asking what this sound is.
YeahYeah.
Shiriaru nanba harareru na yoko no otona niDon’t let the adults next to you slap a serial number on you.
YeahYeah.
Aitsura tachi otosata nashiThere’s no word from those guys.
Ogoreru mono hisashikarazu kore yo no kotowariThe proud do not endure; that’s the way of the world.
Yon-nana kara namahosoBroadcasting live from ‘Okinawa Prefecture 47’.
Jimoto e no omoi ga nada sosoMy feelings for home are ‘overflowing like tears’.
Ore no bero mitsuba kaoru modoMy tongue’s in a mode that tastes like trefoil.
Sore ja mata kondo iku ze akatomboSee you next time; I’m heading out like a red dragonfly.
RASEN in OKINAWA Music Video
The meaning of ‘RASEN in OKINAWA’ is relentless growth amid island storms. The lyrics explain how jasmine wind and street drums fuel a revolution, in English and Japanese.