My name is Ronin Ichikawa. A Ronin is a lordless samurai, an outcast. Ichikawa is my Japanese family name, meaning one river. Of course, I wasn’t always a samurai. I grew up a native Oregonian, in a mixed ghetto military base. Growing up in a family that struggled through addiction, domestic violence, and concentrated poverty, I latched onto hip-hop in my youth as a creative and empowering outlet. In the early nineties, West Coast hip-hop brought a voice to hustlers, dealers, and gang activities, but with that it also introduced a new, intensive social commentary towards street life. It was this resonance that grabbed the attention of a generation. When I write and perform my music, I’m trying to focus less on actual problems in the streets, and focus more on generating the positivity needed to rise up and push through these barriers. Merely calling attention to an already fucked up situation only markets shock value to a suburban market, and is not productive towards positive change. Ronin Ichikawa is a revolution, and young street soldiers will rise up to advance a cause that we can claim ownership to. The practical side to this revolution will have to promote my advancement into the entertainment industry. As a legitimate hustler, I’m currently focusing my energies towards event planning, public relations exposure, and in-house studio production.