ROUGE
ROUGE | LEADING A NEW ERA
Photography by Austin Malema
Interview by Sizwe Ray Shabalala
All great artists go through pivotal moments of change and growth in their careers in order to become and remain great for an extended period of time. We can, for the most part, pinpoint the exact turning points and major events that these artists go through as they unlock new levels in their journeys. For some already established artists, it’s in the way they change their sonic aesthetic, for others it’s more of a change in the physical aesthetic in order to stand out from the rest. Either way, with the benefit of hindsight, you can always pinpoint the pivotal moments.
For Deko Barbara-Jessica Wedi, popularly known as Rouge, her first major pivotal moment in the industry can be traced back to the now classic “Baddest” remix; an AKA song from 2015 which featured the best of the best women in hip-hop at the time. Prior to that moment, Rouge was relatively unknown to the mass majority of hip-hop consumers in South Africa and the continent at large.
Being a player in the hip-hop space, an industry so competitive, you are constantly having to put your best foot forward in the most authentic way possible. Artists who take their craft very seriously will tell you that every verse is an opportunity to further cement your position and a reminder why you deserve a seat at the table. “At that point in my life, all I wanted to do was prove myself as a rapper. I knew that once the artwork was released, everyone would be asking "Who's that girl?" and I wanted to give them a reason to remember me.”
Not only did she prove herself with the pen, she kicked the door down and demanded attention from everyone who was a witness to that moment of history. Her verse was an artistic display of what it means to be clinical and intentional – it was multidimensional and full of character and in that moment, she was able to also give us a glimpse into her capabilities when it comes to what she could bring to the game. In just that one song, she was able to showcase her understanding of melody, creative flows, clever bars, as well as show her Congolese roots by incorporating French into her sixteen bars. This was the birth of a new era.
If hip-hop is seen as a sport, then the Baddest remix was the tryouts for Rouge and as with every tryout, once you make the team, you have to compete and prove why you deserve to be in the starting lineup. With her debut album, The New Era Sessions, she delivered one of the most impressive debut runs in recent years and earned her starting line-up position. However, Rouge says, during The New Era Sessions chapter, she was still pretty scared, insecure and unsure of herself and her place in the game.
“To be perfectly honest, New Era Sessions was about me figuring things out. I wanted to let people know that I had finally arrived but I wasn't sure how the world would respond or if people would even care.” Rouge, at the time, was just an aspiring rapper looking to make a name for herself in a very male-dominated industry. “I was a creative looking to share my thoughts and ideas with the world as an passionate about my craft - I was then and still am today. The New Era Sessions served as a showreel to the many tricks she had under her sleeve. She sang, rapped and supported all of that with an impressive short film where she was able to showcase another side of her: acting. As monumental and stressful as it was, looking back in hindsight, she says that era not only tested her as a person but it also helped her find out what she was truly capable of as an artist. “It helped me to crystallize my sound and figure out what kind of music I wanted to make. I am so thankful that people really connected with the album. It did exactly what I wanted it to do and served as the perfect introduction of Rouge to the world.”
She went on to win a number of prestigious awards for both her debut album and short film, including Hip-Hop Awards in 2017, the South Africa Film & Television Awards (SAFTA's) and the South African Music Awards (SAMA's) in 2018, solidifying it as one of the most impressive debut runs in South Africa hip-hop. However, as great as it was to be recognized by her peers and fans, for Rouge, awards are not the be-all-and-all. “They don't define who you are as an artist. Your art and your fans are the most important thing. If you keep focused on them, you can't go wrong.”
As she enters a new chapter in her career, working towards dropping her second album, “Love and Other Stuff”, Rouge seems very focused in giving her fans her best work to date. She has already proven on many occasions that when it comes to actual raps, she is one of the best South Africa has to offer. She solidified her rap status when she took to stage at the Castle Lite Unlocks concert and blazed the mic in front of Sway and thousands of fans who watched in awe. When she said, “Dad named me Barbara because he knew the BARS were coming twice!” she was not lying.“I wanted it [Love and Other Stuff] to be more focused and a lot more specialised so that the listener could hear my growth as an artist. It's not about proving I can rap anymore, y’all know I got bars. It's about showing you the other sides of me.”
This chapter, in comparison to her debut era, sees Rouge displaying a softer side to her. This physical aesthetic has bled into the kind of music she is making right now. Putting this album together has been a very long process for her. “If I'm completely honest, it has taken me about two and a half years, and I mean in terms of just making songs and finally coming to the realisation that it's an album. I was about ten songs in when I finally realised what my sound was and what approach I was going to take with this album.”
The biggest hurdle for her, creatively, was not understanding the story she was trying to tell, which resulted in her making music without soul or depth, as she puts it. However, she says, once she found “it”, she found it! In the music industry, there is a very long history of sophomore albums being the make or break moment for artists and bands and so for Rouge, it was important to make sure she put her best foot forward to avoid the dreaded “sophomore slump”.
Her first single for 2020, “One by One”, which features AKA and is produced by Tweezy, sees Rouge not only reuniting with an artist who played a pivotal part in her breakout year, but it also sees her take a big risk creatively. One by One is right in the Pop lane and for an artist like Rouge who has built a reputation for being able to ignite the crowd with her blazing bars, this was a curve ball for a lot of people. “When people first got word of the collaboration, everyone thought we would release a hardcore hip-hop rap song; instead, they got a commercial love song. As time went by though, people gave it the chance it deserved, and since then it's gone on to do really well, charting on most radio stations across the country.”
Reflecting on finally getting an opportunity to work on an original song with AKA, she says it was one of the most inspirational processes she has ever been a part of. “To watch this person, who has been killing the game for so long, work so tirelessly on my single as if it was his very own was really powerful. AKA doesn't get enough credit for his work ethic. He's a beast.” The Baddest Remix seems like a decade ago now and Rouge recalls how, back then, AKA always seemed so untouchable to her but years later, it’s nothing but mutual respect for one another. “Now that I've gotten to know him over the years, he's become a mentor, someone I can call when I need advice, support or someone to be brutally honest with me. She jokingly shares that AKA may come across as, “Mr bad boy online but he is the sweetest on the phone and face to face, don’t be fooled.”
One by One may have been a big risk initially but it has turned out to yield amazing results for Rouge; making it her best-performing song to date. As successful as the single has been so far, Rouge is still not entirely sure when the right time will be to release the full-length album. “I'm not just making this album for myself. I'm not working as hard as I am, losing sleep, time and money for a project that won't be heard. As an artist, I want to understand what kind of songs people are connecting with, songs that expose me to a whole different listenership. At the end of the day, it's not about me, it's about co-creating music with my fans, giving them something of value, something they cherish and appreciate. If that means waiting until we all on the same page, then so be it.”
What we are sure of, however, is that the other confirmed features for the album are Ghanaian rap giant, Sarkodie, Nigerian singer-songwriter Yemi Alade and South Africa’s very own pop goddess, Shekhinah. Being able to secure collaborations from across border “told me I need to be more Pan-African in my approach, especially considering that I am a first-generation South African. So, it's time to showcase the global side of Rouge.” These types of collaborations are very important for artists, “especially when it comes to expanding one's artistry and playing with different sounds.”
While putting the finishing touches to the album and working out roll-out strategies, Covid-19 happened and for the most part, things came to a halt. “Every single one of my campaign plans fell through but at the same time, this lockdown has provided many of us with the opportunity to go back to the drawing board and reassess.” Even though her initial plans for her much-anticipated album have been affected by this global pandemic, she remains positive and has chosen to make it work to her advantage.“I have never been as creative as I've been during this lockdown period. Being at home and without the opinions of every Tom, Dick and Harry has allowed me to focus on me, my mental health, my craft and most importantly, creating content that I enjoy. I am actually very grateful for this time, and so I'm choosing to see the glass as half full rather than half empty.”
With artists not being able to get out and do live shows, people like Stogie T and as well as Castle Lite took it upon themselves to keep the momentum going by introducing Freestyle Fridays and Castle Lite Unlocks In Bed With respectively. The Castle Lite Unlocks in Bed With (Best of the Best) saw Rouge rap alongside Stogie T, who is regarded as one of the best MC’s on the continent and so, for Rouge, this was yet another monumental moment. “I was definitely intimidated to go up against such a monster lyricist, but so happy I did it in the end. I'm not afraid of anybody anymore. I’m so happy they picked me and always pushing me to be a better artist, performer and lyricist”
The “Castle Lite In Bed With..” series proved to be quite popular for music fans who were cooped up in lockdown with nothing to do except be nostalgic for times when the world was still normal. It provided an intimate side of music performance; one you wouldn’t normally find at an actual hip-hop concert. “It comes down to just being in the comfort of your own home really, being in surroundings that you are familiar to navigate around and familiar territory. Whereas on stage, there’s more of an experience in not knowing what will happen next. The unknown is what makes live performance exhilarating.”
With hip-hop being a genre well known for its expressiveness and energetic artist-and-fan live interactions, these online concerts can only transport you so far. “There is no way to fill the void of hearing your fans sing along to lyrics you wrote. Online performances are great and give us a way to stay connected, but I'm sure I speak for most artists when I say that I can’t wait to get back on a stage again, once this is all over.” Rouge believes that the artists are doing the absolute most during such trying times and the resurgence of a dominant hip-hop industry is eminent. However, she would like to see a more positive change when it comes to social media. “I believe that engagement with audiences need to be re-evaluated, especially on social media, because the cyber world is becoming a very dark place and can be quite demotivating. Having revisited the drawing board and revised roll-out strategies, Rouge is gearing up to drop her highly anticipated sophomore album and in regards to its success, she says she will measure it by how many borders she can cross because of it.
Many years from now, when it’s all said and done, when there are no more albums to release, no more mic-checks and two-steps to count, and her name goes up into the rafters, her wish is that her career will tell the story of how, “Rouge did not conform to get to the top. She remained exactly who she was; taking on and beating giants so that the next generation of female rappers wouldn’t have to.” But for now, regal Rouge is poised and ready to reign as she steps up to the throne.