# Rod Wave
**Rod Wave** (born Rodarius Marcell Green, 1998) is an American rapper and singer from [St. Petersburg, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/st-petersburg-florida), known for a melodic blend of trap, soul, and gospel elements that critics and industry sources describe as "soul-trap" or "pain music": intimate street rap ballads centered on trauma, heartbreak, and perseverance.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-wave-mn0003861690) • [2](https://music.apple.com/us/album/dont-look-down/6807069399) He rose from regional buzz to a string of chart-topping albums on Alamo Records, becoming one of the most commercially consistent artists in hip-hop in the 2020s.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-wave-mn0003861690)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name / origin | Rodarius Marcell Green, born 1998 in St. Petersburg, Florida[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-wave-mn0003861690) • [3](https://apnews.com/article/4d5dd963a6ee5beccfb44eadd819bcb4) |
| Breakout single | "Heart on Ice" (2019), peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, reached number one at urban radio, certified multi-platinum[4](https://www.sonymusic.co.uk/artist/rod-wave/) |
| First chart-topper | SoulFly (2021), his first number-one album on the Billboard 200[5](https://ubsarena.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Rod-Wave-2024-UBS-Arena-Announce.pdf) |
| Consecutive number ones | SoulFly (2021), Beautiful Mind (2022), and Nostalgia (2023) each debuted at number one on the Billboard 200[6](https://www.sonymusic.ca/press_release/grammy-nominated-multiplatinum-superstar-rod-wave-releases-much-anticipated-new-album-dont-look-down-out-now) |
| Label | Alamo Records, a Universal-affiliated imprint[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-wave-mn0003861690) |
| Grammy recognition | "Sinners," the title track of Ryan Coogler's 2025 film, nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-wave-mn0003861690) |
| Streaming scale | Over 14 billion catalog streams as reported by Sony Music UK; later label materials cite more than 15 billion[4](https://www.sonymusic.co.uk/artist/rod-wave/) • [6](https://www.sonymusic.ca/press_release/grammy-nominated-multiplatinum-superstar-rod-wave-releases-much-anticipated-new-album-dont-look-down-out-now) |
## Beginnings
Recording began as a pastime. His father bought him a microphone and his brother gave him a computer, and he did not intend to make a career of music until early tracks circulated by his producer found an audience in St. Petersburg; additional material and live shows led to a deal with Alamo Records.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-wave-mn0003861690) Still a teenager, he released multiple volumes of his *Hunger Games* mixtape series in 2018; *Hunger Games 3*, released that December, was his second tape with major-label backing and carried cosigns from [Moneybagg Yo](https://www.edgepedia.org/moneybagg-yo) and [Kevin Gates](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-gates).[7](https://music.apple.com/us/album/hunger-games-3/1574411809)
## Breakthrough and albums
**2019 to 2021.** In 2019 he released *PTSD*, with E-40 as the only guest, appeared on E-40's "Made This Way," and hit number ten on the Billboard 200 with his debut studio album *Ghetto Gospel*, which was executive-produced by Kevin Gates and boosted by a remix of "Heart on Ice" featuring [Lil Durk](https://www.edgepedia.org/lil-durk).[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-wave-mn0003861690) His second album, *Pray 4 Love* (April 2020), debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and produced the number 12 pop hit "Rags2Riches" with [Lil Baby](https://www.edgepedia.org/lil-baby); a deluxe edition followed that August, weeks after he survived a serious car accident.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-wave-mn0003861690) *Pray 4 Love* was certified platinum within a year of release.[5](https://ubsarena.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Rod-Wave-2024-UBS-Arena-Announce.pdf) *SoulFly* arrived in March 2021, drew on the accident experience, and became his first Billboard 200 number one, powered by three [Top 40](https://www.edgepedia.org/top-40) singles.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-wave-mn0003861690)
**2022 to 2024.** *Beautiful Mind* (August 2022) was his second chart-topper, preceded by the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Top Ten singles "By Your Side" and "Cold December."[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-wave-mn0003861690) Before 2022 ended he issued the eight-song EP *Jupiter's Diary: Seven Day Theory*, which broke into the Top Ten.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-wave-mn0003861690) The non-album single "Fight the Feeling" reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2023, and his fifth album *Nostalgia* arrived that September, becoming his third consecutive chart-topper.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-wave-mn0003861690) *[Last Lap](https://www.edgepedia.org/last-lap)* (2024), dedicated to his late uncle and featuring Be Charlotte, Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, Rylo Rodriguez, and Wild Rivers, topped the Hip-Hop Albums chart and reached number two on the [Billboard](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-magazine) 200.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-wave-mn0003861690) With *Last Lap*, he and [Taylor Swift](https://www.edgepedia.org/taylor-swift) were the only artists to place a Top 10 album on the Billboard 200 every year from 2019 to 2024, according to tour promotional materials.[5](https://ubsarena.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Rod-Wave-2024-UBS-Arena-Announce.pdf)
**2025 to 2026.** In 2025 he issued the singles "Westside Connection" and "Leavin," which reached number seven on the [Hot Rap Songs](https://www.edgepedia.org/hot-rap-songs) chart, and "Sinners," the title track and lead single from the soundtrack to director [Ryan Coogler](https://www.edgepedia.org/ryan-coogler)'s vampire film *Sinners*; the song received a Grammy nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-wave-mn0003861690) His seventh album, *Don't Look Down*, arrived on August 28, 2026 via Alamo with 24 digital tracks and only two featured guests, Summer Joy and Luv Von.[6](https://www.sonymusic.ca/press_release/grammy-nominated-multiplatinum-superstar-rod-wave-releases-much-anticipated-new-album-dont-look-down-out-now) • [8](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/rod-wave-dont-look-down-everything-know) Apple Music describes growth as its prevailing theme, with the 28-year-old reflecting on fatherhood; his twin daughters were born in 2020.[2](https://music.apple.com/us/album/dont-look-down/6807069399)
## Musical style
Rod Wave's songs combine unsparing, introspective rhymes with gestures from trap, soul, and gospel, often over piano-driven beats and subdued bass.[7](https://music.apple.com/us/album/hunger-games-3/1574411809) • [9](https://media.newsreview.com/article/rod-wave-verified-profile-of-the-rapper-and-his-career) Apple Music places him among younger Southern rappers, alongside [YoungBoy Never Broke Again](https://www.edgepedia.org/youngboy-never-broke-again), NoCap, and Moneybagg Yo, who took the street confessionals of forebears like [Boosie Badazz](https://www.edgepedia.org/boosie-badazz) and Kevin Gates in new directions, broadening hip-hop's emotional range with the vocal catharsis of classic soul.[10](https://music.apple.com/ne/artist/rod-wave/1140623439) Pitchfork critic Dylan Green, co-founder of the music publication Hearing Things, wrote that the "triumphant boom" of his voice has separated him from other rap crooners since at least 2017's "Mike Tyson," while noting a heavy reliance on piano and guitar beats.[11](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/rod-wave-beautiful-mind/) A court filing in a 2025 touring dispute describes him as a pioneer of the "soul-trap" genre.[12](https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/rod-wave-green-v-grizzly-touring-8-25-cv-02645-oct-2025.pdf)
## Commercial record and touring
His chart consistency is unusual for the genre. Three straight number-one debuts on the Billboard 200 (*SoulFly*, *Beautiful Mind*, *Nostalgia*) placed him alongside Taylor Swift as the only artists to top the Billboard albums chart between 2021 and 2023, per his tour promoter.[5](https://ubsarena.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Rod-Wave-2024-UBS-Arena-Announce.pdf) His catalog includes the multi-platinum "Heart on Ice" and "Street Runner," and he has run two consecutive nationwide arena tours grossing tens of millions of dollars.[5](https://ubsarena.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Rod-Wave-2024-UBS-Arena-Announce.pdf) The Associated Press reported in 2025 that he had 11 singles certified platinum by the [Recording Industry Association of America](https://www.edgepedia.org/recording-industry-association-of-america) and that four of his first six albums had hit number one on Billboard's top R&B/hip-hop albums chart.[3](https://apnews.com/article/4d5dd963a6ee5beccfb44eadd819bcb4) The *Don't Look Down* rollout included a 25-city arena tour with Fridayy as support, launching in Philadelphia in September 2026.[6](https://www.sonymusic.ca/press_release/grammy-nominated-multiplatinum-superstar-rod-wave-releases-much-anticipated-new-album-dont-look-down-out-now)
## Legal matters
In May 2025, Rod Wave voluntarily surrendered to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Georgia on warrants stemming from an April 21 police call in Milton, a suburb of Atlanta, facing more than a dozen charges, some involving a gun. His lawyers, Drew Findling and Marissa Goldberg, told the Associated Press there was no truth to the charges and that he was the victim of a burglary; the initial police report did not accuse him of committing crimes, and he was released on bond the same day.[3](https://apnews.com/article/4d5dd963a6ee5beccfb44eadd819bcb4) The same report noted a domestic battery charge in Florida that was dismissed in 2022 after prosecutors said the case was not suitable for prosecution.[3](https://apnews.com/article/4d5dd963a6ee5beccfb44eadd819bcb4)
## References
1. [Rod Wave — Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic (Andy Kellman)](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-wave-mn0003861690)
2. [Don't Look Down — Album by Rod Wave, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/dont-look-down/6807069399)
3. [Rapper Rod Wave faces more than a dozen charges, some involving a gun, in Georgia, The Associated Press (May 21, 2025)](https://apnews.com/article/4d5dd963a6ee5beccfb44eadd819bcb4)
4. [Rod Wave, Sony Music UK](https://www.sonymusic.co.uk/artist/rod-wave/)
5. [Rod Wave 2024 UBS Arena Announcement](https://ubsarena.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Rod-Wave-2024-UBS-Arena-Announce.pdf)
6. [GRAMMY-Nominated Multiplatinum Superstar Rod Wave Releases Much-Anticipated New Album Don't Look Down Out Now, Sony Music Canada (August 28, 2026)](https://www.sonymusic.ca/press_release/grammy-nominated-multiplatinum-superstar-rod-wave-releases-much-anticipated-new-album-dont-look-down-out-now)
7. [Hunger Games 3 — Album by Rod Wave, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/hunger-games-3/1574411809)
8. [Rod Wave's 'Don't Look Down': Release Date, Singles, and Everything to Know, Complex (Dimas Sanfiorenzo, August 28, 2026)](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/rod-wave-dont-look-down-everything-know)
9. [Rod Wave: Verified Profile of the Rapper and His Career](https://media.newsreview.com/article/rod-wave-verified-profile-of-the-rapper-and-his-career)
10. [Rod Wave, Apple Music (artist page)](https://music.apple.com/ne/artist/rod-wave/1140623439)
11. [Rod Wave: Beautiful Mind Album Review, Pitchfork (Dylan Green, August 17, 2022)](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/rod-wave-beautiful-mind/)
12. [Rod Wave v. Grizzly Touring, answer and counterclaims (October 2025), Digital Music News court document](https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/rod-wave-green-v-grizzly-touring-8-25-cv-02645-oct-2025.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › Transnational genre scenes › Hip hop scenes worldwide › Artists, groups, and people: Hip hop scenes worldwide › Southern US rap (Atlanta, Memphis, Houston, New Orleans, Florida) › Gulf Coast and Florida rap*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license