Rapper Rouge may be one of the biggest supporters of female talent in the country but she says that they still have to get to the level of their male counterparts before they can demand the same respect.
Sitting down with TshisaLIVE recently‚ Rouge opened up about her struggles as she pushes to make her mark on the local music industry.
And while the industry can be “hard to crack no matter who you are“‚ Rogue is determined to get recognition for her talent and not for the novelty of being a female rapper.
“I don’t feel that we (female rappers) necessarily deserve the same recognition as male artists but I feel that we are working towards that and we should be recognised for how far we’ve already come. We’ve had successes but we need to deliver more‚ and I don’t mind putting in the work‚ because there has been such a long period where we haven’t delivered. We just can’t expect to be respected immediately‚” she said.
Many critics have suggested that recognition would come when SA awards start adopting a Best Female Rapper category.
And while Rouge believes that it may help‚ she says she would rather slug it out with her male counterparts for a Best Hip-Hop Award.
My biggest fear is being underrated
Perhaps her fight comes from her fear of forever being seen as an underrated rapper.
“In order to get into the same category as them‚ we (female rappers) need to be willing to put in the work and be seen as underrated for a while. But that is my biggest fear‚ the fear of being known as the underrated rapper. Where I’m good but not everyone knows me. That is the thing!” she said.
Well‚ that might not be an issue for very long. The Mbongo Zaka hit maker has recently had her music playlisted on popular UK radio station BBC One Xtra.
It’s an exciting move‚ and one that Rouge is excited about but comes at a time when she still struggles to get more airplay locally.
“The news (of the song being playlisted) came just hours after I had been excluded from a top 10 rappers in Mzansi list. I was upset by the list but being recognised in the UK made me realise that I am still on the right track. Maybe I expected to grow the same way as everyone else had‚ when my path is different. I think I’m being recognised more internationally than in my own country‚” she said.
It is this fighting spirit and determination that has seen Rouge selected as one of the mentors and judges on Vuzu’s upcoming TV reality game show The Coalition.
The show‚ set to premiere this coming Saturday‚ will see Rouge team up with the likes of Ricardo Da Costa‚ Punk and Ivy‚ DJ Dimplez and Major League DJz.
“I am so excited for people to see the show. Really‚ it’s been an amazing journey working with leaders‚ giants‚ in the industry. I think more than anything it will show people the ins and outs of the industry and help them understand how much hard work it is. As an artist‚ a show like this would have helped me greatly during my early years in the industry. It would have taught me that you really have to be business-minded‚” Rouge said.
I refuse to be a victim! I’m a survivor
Away from the mic and TV screens‚ Rogue has had to deal with a traumatic hijacking incident that left her beaten and severely bruised. The rapper was attacked while travelling home from a gig in the early hours of a Friday morning in August.
Nearly two months after the horrific incident‚ Rogue says she is better and grateful for her life.
“I am feeling really good now. I won’t lie to you it was a really tough period in my life. From not being able to sleep‚ to not being able to drive and not being able to do anything. And even not being very creative to make music. It was really hard but I feel it could have been so much worse. I’m taking it a day at a time but I refuse to be a victim. I am a survivor‚” Rouge said.
She said that nearly losing her life made her appreciate the little things she has so often taken for granted.
Rouge also credits her man with helping her through the ordeal.
“I could not see myself going through these tough times with anyone else. I feel like whenever I am going through the toughest times he is right there with me. He is the most amazing guy. I’m going to be with him for the rest of my life‚” she added.
The Big Read: Female rappers must still earn their respect in hip-hop‚ says Rouge
Rapper Rouge may be one of the biggest supporters of female talent in the country but she says that they still have to get to the level of their male counterparts before they can demand the same respect.
Sitting down with TshisaLIVE recently‚ Rouge opened up about her struggles as she pushes to make her mark on the local music industry.
And while the industry can be “hard to crack no matter who you are“‚ Rogue is determined to get recognition for her talent and not for the novelty of being a female rapper.
“I don’t feel that we (female rappers) necessarily deserve the same recognition as male artists but I feel that we are working towards that and we should be recognised for how far we’ve already come. We’ve had successes but we need to deliver more‚ and I don’t mind putting in the work‚ because there has been such a long period where we haven’t delivered. We just can’t expect to be respected immediately‚” she said.
Many critics have suggested that recognition would come when SA awards start adopting a Best Female Rapper category.
And while Rouge believes that it may help‚ she says she would rather slug it out with her male counterparts for a Best Hip-Hop Award.
My biggest fear is being underrated
Perhaps her fight comes from her fear of forever being seen as an underrated rapper.
“In order to get into the same category as them‚ we (female rappers) need to be willing to put in the work and be seen as underrated for a while. But that is my biggest fear‚ the fear of being known as the underrated rapper. Where I’m good but not everyone knows me. That is the thing!” she said.
Well‚ that might not be an issue for very long. The Mbongo Zaka hit maker has recently had her music playlisted on popular UK radio station BBC One Xtra.
It’s an exciting move‚ and one that Rouge is excited about but comes at a time when she still struggles to get more airplay locally.
“The news (of the song being playlisted) came just hours after I had been excluded from a top 10 rappers in Mzansi list. I was upset by the list but being recognised in the UK made me realise that I am still on the right track. Maybe I expected to grow the same way as everyone else had‚ when my path is different. I think I’m being recognised more internationally than in my own country‚” she said.
It is this fighting spirit and determination that has seen Rouge selected as one of the mentors and judges on Vuzu’s upcoming TV reality game show The Coalition.
The show‚ set to premiere this coming Saturday‚ will see Rouge team up with the likes of Ricardo Da Costa‚ Punk and Ivy‚ DJ Dimplez and Major League DJz.
“I am so excited for people to see the show. Really‚ it’s been an amazing journey working with leaders‚ giants‚ in the industry. I think more than anything it will show people the ins and outs of the industry and help them understand how much hard work it is. As an artist‚ a show like this would have helped me greatly during my early years in the industry. It would have taught me that you really have to be business-minded‚” Rouge said.
I refuse to be a victim! I’m a survivor
Away from the mic and TV screens‚ Rogue has had to deal with a traumatic hijacking incident that left her beaten and severely bruised. The rapper was attacked while travelling home from a gig in the early hours of a Friday morning in August.
Nearly two months after the horrific incident‚ Rogue says she is better and grateful for her life.
“I am feeling really good now. I won’t lie to you it was a really tough period in my life. From not being able to sleep‚ to not being able to drive and not being able to do anything. And even not being very creative to make music. It was really hard but I feel it could have been so much worse. I’m taking it a day at a time but I refuse to be a victim. I am a survivor‚” Rouge said.
She said that nearly losing her life made her appreciate the little things she has so often taken for granted.
Rouge also credits her man with helping her through the ordeal.
“I could not see myself going through these tough times with anyone else. I feel like whenever I am going through the toughest times he is right there with me. He is the most amazing guy. I’m going to be with him for the rest of my life‚” she added.
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