Rouge Rapper bio: age, real name, parents, first feature, profile, net worth
Deko Barbara-Jessica Wedi, stage name Rogue Rapper, is an award-winning female South African rapper, author, and professional TV presenter. Rouge’s unique vocals, hardcore flow, beauty, and artistic compositions have earned her numerous awards and respect in the South African music industry.
Source: Instagram
Over time, there has been tremendous growth in the entertainment scene, especially music. Female musicians, in particular, seem to be doing exceptionally well. For instance, Rouge Rapper is among those artists who continue to release inspiring hits for her fans. Well, do you know what else makes her an idol to many people in the country?
Rouge Rapper profile summary
- Real name: Deko Barbara-Jessica Wedi
- Age: 27 years
- Date of birth: 13th September 1992
- Place of birth: Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
- Occupations: Rapper, TV presenter, and author
- Years active: 2013 - present
- Music genre: Hip-hop
- Label: Sony Music
Rouge Rapper biography
Source: Instagram
The rapper was born on 13th September 1992. Rouge Rapper real name is Deko Barbara-Jessica Wedi. She was born in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.
Ever since her award-winning debut album, Rogue Rapper has remained consistent in providing South African hip-hop heads with classic singles, collabos, and timeless music. Her creativity in addressing a variety of Mzansi’s trends has earned her millions of fans, numerous contracts, and employment. However, as a female artist, her success story has not been easy.
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Family background
Known for her multilingual capabilities in French, English, and Jozi compositions, new fans wonder, “Is Rouge from South Africa?” Yes, she is. However, Rouge Rapper nationality is Congolese. She traces her family background from Congo, where both her parents were born.
According to The Plug Mag, Rouge Rapper parents migrated to Mzansi in 1991. The migration was based on a new job that her father, a doctor, secured in Pretoria. The lovely artist happens to be the last-born in a family of five siblings.
Rouge’s educational journey inspired her musical passion
Source: Instagram
Barbara-Jessica Wedi comes from a well-educated family. She believes that education played a significant role in nurturing her musical, writing, and TV hosting careers.
At the age of six and twelve (primary level), Deko could perfectly sing and compose lyrics, respectively. However, she did not want to become a rapper in the future. During her interview with Africa Business Radio, she confessed,
I didn't wanna do music, I did not wanna rap, that was never my plan, I studied musical theatre, that was my goal...I wanted to be in Broadway...I'm still gonna do it, it's just that right now, Gods like: 'No, this is where you need to be.
Her initial interest was in performing arts. As a result, she enrolled at TUSK to study and achieved a degree.
After joining the campus, she discovered her love for rap music. At 19 years, her friend suggested that she should do rap. This was after listening to her wordplay in her R&B compositions. Deko later enrolled for a drama and film undergraduate course at the University of Pretoria.
Musical career
Source: Instagram
In 2014, she released her debut single Party that was well-received during the December celebrations. It topped local hip-hop shows like 5FM’s The Stir Up. Mi Corazon was her second song where she featured fellow rapper, BigStar Johnson.
Rise to fame: First feature
Rouge Rapper first feature with Mzanzi’s rapper AKA in the Baddest remix marked her rise to fame. She was recognized as a talented upcoming female artist. Her 2016 jam Mbongo Zaka that featured Moozlie went viral topping local music charts.
Her popularity enabled her to be a mentor during the October 2016 reality show named Vuzu. In 2017, she was among the rappers participating in the MTV Base Cyphers show New Skool.
Rouge album
The New Era Session happens to be Deko’s debut album. After its official release on 8th September 2017, it topped local charts that were emerging in the top 2 South Africa’s iTunes. The album is composed of 15 songs that include:
- Intro
- Underrated
- Celebrity
- Let It Go
- Déjà Vu
- No Pressure
- Dololo featuring Bigstar
- Arumtumtum
- Naledi
- The Breakup
- Simon Says featuring Kly and Shasha
- No Strings
- Mbongo-Zaka featuring Moozlie
- Sheba Ngwan O
- Mabele
Other Rouge Rapper songs classified as singles include Bazigally, Popular featuring Emtee, No Cap, and 1 By 1 featuring AKA.
Latest musical deal
Rogue Rapper is one of the luckiest South Africa’s rappers to secure a deal with the international record label Sony Music. She was signed on 14th March 2019.
Rogue rapper awards and nominations
As the queen of rap in South Africa, Deko Barbara-Jessica Wedi has won several nominations from her singles, album, and acting skills.
In 2017, she was awarded the South African Hip Hop Awards category “Best Female Artist” and nominated for being “Freshman of the Year (NewComer).”
In 2018, her album New Era Session won the following awards:
- South African Film and Television Awards -Best Micro-Budget Film Award
- South African Music Awards-Best Music Video of the Year (Arumtumtum)
- SABRE Awards Africa-Best Southern Africa PR campaign
- SABRE Awards Africa-Best Corporate Image
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Her 2018 album nominations include Best Female Southern Africa and Best African Lyricist/Rapper.
Acting career
Source: Instagram
The Pretoria rapper featured in a skit on her album that won numerous awards and was featured on MTV Base. The film won the below titles:
- South African Film and Television Award for Best Micro-Budget Film Award
- South African Music Award for Best Music Video of the Year
Career on TV
Rouge Rapper popular songs and films earned her opportunity of being a SABC 1 music show presenter. She hosted the 2018 musical show titled Remix SA. She was also a judge in Halls SA’s online hashtag challenge named HallsOMFCC.
Rouge Rapper net worth
As a successful artist with numerous awards and millions of YouTube views, Deko is estimated to be in the millionaires’ list of South African celebrities. She continues to perform in multiple local and international shows making good money.
Instagram and Twitter
In Deko Barbara-Jessica Wedi Instagram posts, she showcases her lavish lifestyle, trips, and designer looks. Rouge Rapper Twitter offers fans a close look at her latest news, music, performances, and a chance to keep up with her love life dramas.
Rogue Rapper is a new school Pretoria rapper who doubles up as an actress and TV presenter. Her skilled composition and revolutionary mindset enable her to produce some of the trending rap songs in the Mzansi music industry.
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Source: Briefly News
