Rodarius Marcell Green (born August 27, 1998),[1][2] known professionally as Rod Wave, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter.

Signed to Alamo Records, Green is known for his strong voice and incorporation of hip hop and R&B,[3] having been recognized as a pioneer of "trap-soul.

"[4][5] Green rose to prominence with his 2019 single "Heart on Ice," which first went viral on TikTok before peaking at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.

[1][8] His third, fourth, and fifth studio albums: SoulFly (2021),[9] Beautiful Mind (2022),[10][11] and Nostalgia (2023),[12] each debuted atop the Billboard 200 and received platinum certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

The latter spent multiple weeks at the position, while the former spawned his highest-charting singles, "Street Runner" and "Tombstone"—both of which peaked within the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100.

Along with critical praise for his soulful delivery and lyrics, Green's commercial success matched the numbers of Taylor Swift as the only musical act to release a new chart-topping solo album within each of the previous three years.

[2] During his elementary school years, Green experienced a challenging family situation when his parents divorced, and his father subsequently ended up in jail.

Unfortunately, this led him down a troubled path, involving multiple stints in juvenile centers and engagement in various illicit activities such as drug dealing, robbery, burglary, and possession of firearms.

Determined to steer Wave in a more positive direction, his father took a proactive approach, resulting in Green joining the high school football team.

The album was preceded by six singles, "Dark Clouds",[27] "Thug Motivation",[28] "Thief in the Night",[29] "Pray 4 Love",[30] "The Greatest",[31] and "Girl of My Dreams".

The album was released as planned on March 26, 2021, and was preceded by three singles, "Street Runner",[40] "Tombstone", and "Richer" featuring Polo G.[41] While being the most pre-saved album on Apple Music for two weeks,[42] SoulFly debuted atop the Billboard 200, marking Green's first chart-topper, moving 130,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.

[45] On August 20, Green released the deluxe edition of SoulFly, featuring guest appearances from Lil Durk and Kodak Black.

[54] On August 10, Green released the album's tracklist, previewing features from Jack Harlow and December Joy.

[11] Following the release of the album, Green embarked on a twenty-five-stop tour, beginning on November 11, 2022, in Minneapolis, MN, and ending in Seattle, WA on December 21, 2022.

[56] On November 10, 2022, Rod Wave released "Break My Heart", the lead single for his eight-track EP, Jupiter’s Diary: 7 Day Theory.

On September 15, 2023, Rod Wave released his fifth full-length studio album, Nostalgia, which featured guest appearances from Wet, 21 Savage, and Sadie Jean.

[79] On September 4, 2024, Rod Wave took to his Instagram to announce his 2024 Last Lap Tour in the United States, supported by Moneybagg Yo, Toosii, Lil Poppa, Dess Dior, and Eelmatic.

[81] On September 13, Rod Wave released the album's lead single, "Passport Junkie" which peaked at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100.

[15][89][90] Green was raised on the sounds of E-40, Chingy, Boosie Badazz, Chief Keef, Kanye West, Kodak Black, and Kevin Gates.

[91] In his April 2020 interview with Billboard, leading up to the release of Pray 4 Love, Green cited Tupac Shakur and Adele as two of his inspirations, noting that he can "hear everything she went through".

[1] ABC News Radio's Rachel George noted that "music is a direct expression of Wave's life, which is why he's cautious yet open to working with other artists who share his passion".

'd in Denver" by Hank Williams Jr., and "Crazy" sampling "Ain't It Fun" by Paramore, alongside several other tracks throughout his discography.

[96] On May 1, 2022, Green was pulled over "after a traffic infraction occurred", leading to him being arrested by the St. Petersburg Police Department from an out-of-county warrant issued by Osceola County, Florida.

[2][99] Green's lawyer later successfully persuaded the State prosecution to accept a Nolle Pross/No Info agreement which saw the charge dropped after a couple of weeks.

[104] According to St. Petersburg Police Chief Mike Kovacsev, the three men tied to Wave who were apprehended (Christopher Atkins, Keith Westby, and Kevontre Wesby) are allegedly connected to the Young Gangsters gang, and two additional suspects were in the process of being arrested as well.