Rouge, a talented rapper, author, and television presenter, was born as Deko Barbara-Jessica Wedi on September 13, 1992. Known professionally as Rouge, she hails from Congo and South Africa. Her first album, ‘The New Era Sessions’, was released alongside a short film and won her a prestigious South African Film and Television Award for Best Micro Budget Film.
Profile Summary
| Full Name: | Deko Barbara-Jessica Wedi |
| Date Of Birth: | September 13, 1992 |
| Place Of Birth: | Pretoria , Gauteng, South Africa |
| Nationality: | Congolese-South African |
| Occupation(s): | Rapper, Singer, Songwriter, Author, TV Presenter |
| Labels: | Sony Music |
| Net Worth: | $600,000 |
Early Life And Education
Pretoria, Gauteng welcomed the arrival of Deko Barbara-Jessica Wedi on September 13, 1992. Born to Congolese parents, she discovered her passion for songwriting at the young age of 12, leading her into the worlds of acting, public speaking, and poetry.
It wasn’t until the age of 19, when a friend encouraged her, that she delved into the realm of rapping to her own R&B compositions.
Pursuing her academic dreams, she later graduated from the University of Pretoria with a degree in Drama & Film.
Career
After her debut single “Party”, Rouge dropped her second single “Mi Corazon” featuring BigStar Johnson in December 2014.
Teaming up with AKA in 2015 for the remix of “Baddest” alongside other female rap artists was a highlight of her career. The release of “Mbongo Zaka” featuring Moozlie in 2016 marked her breakthrough, topping charts on all major South African radio stations.
Recognized as one of the top female rappers in Africa, Rouge was featured on hip hop website Creative-hiphop’s list in 2017 alongside artists like Nadia Nakai and Eno Barony. She even appeared as a mentor on the reality show “The Coalition” in 2016 and took part in MTV Base Cyphers the following year.
Her album “The New Era Sessions” hit the shelves on September 8, 2017, entering the local iTunes charts at number 2. The accompanying short film, featuring talents like Atandwa Kani and Denise Zimba, earned her critical acclaim and awards like the South African Film and Television Award for Best Micro Budget Film.
Not stopping there, the album’s success continued with multiple singles and accolades, including a South African Music Award for Best Music Video.
Stepping into new roles, Rouge hosted the music show Remix SA on SABC 1 and became a key decision-maker for Halls SA’s competition HallsOMFCC. In a big move, she signed with Sony Music South Africa in March 2019.
Personal Life
In 2023, Rouge, also recognized as Deko Barbara-Jessica Wedi, exchanged vows with her partner and manager, MacMillian “Ginger Mac” Mabaleka. After a nine-year relationship, the talented rapper and her beloved sealed their union in marriage.
Rouge Net Worth
Rouge’s estimated net worth is believed to be in the vicinity of $600,000. This valuation encompasses her various streams of income and assets, including earnings from her music career, book sales, television appearances, and other business ventures.
Discography
Some of Rouge’s popular songs and albums include:
Songs:
- Party
- Mi Corazon featuring BigStar Johnson
- Mbongo Zaka featuring Moozlie
- Dololo
- Popular featuring Emtee
- No Strings
- Déjà Vu
- One by One featuring AKA
- Bua Nnete featuring Sjava
- Celebrate featuring Max-Hoba
Albums:
- The New Era Sessions (2017)
- Senzeni Na (2021) – EP