Rod Wave facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rod Wave
Rod Wave in 2022
Background information
Birth name	Rodarius Marcell Green
Born	(1998-08-27) August 27, 1998 (age 26) St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop R&B soul trap
Occupation(s)	Rapper singer songwriter
Years active	2016–present
Labels	Alamo (current) Geffen Interscope Hit House (former)
Children	2
Signature

Rodarius Marcell Green (born August 27, 1998), who is known by his stage name Rod Wave, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is famous for his powerful voice and for mixing hip hop with R&B. Many people see him as a pioneer of a style called "trap-soul."

Rod Wave became famous in 2019 with his song "Heart on Ice," which went viral on TikTok. The song became a big hit, reaching number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart. This success led to his first album, Ghetto Gospel (2019), which was also very popular. His second album, Pray 4 Love (2020), did even better, reaching number two on the charts.

His next three albums, SoulFly (2021), Beautiful Mind (2022), and Nostalgia (2023), all debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. This amazing achievement put him in a special group with Taylor Swift as the only artists to have a new number-one album for three years in a row. His sixth album, Last Lap (2024), started at number two, giving him seven top-ten albums in a row.

Rod Wave has sold over 65 million digital copies of his music in the United States. He has also been nominated for major awards, including an American Music Award and a Billboard Music Award.

Early life

Green attended Lakewood High School.

Rodarius Marcell Green was born on August 27, 1998, in St. Petersburg, Florida. He had a challenging childhood. When he was in elementary school, his parents divorced, and his father was sent to jail. His family struggled with money, and Green got into trouble.

When his father, Rodney "Fatz" Green, was released from jail, he saw that his son was heading down a difficult path. He wanted to help his son find a better future. He encouraged Rod to join the high school football team and to focus on music.

To support his son's new passion, his father bought him a microphone, and his brother bought him a computer. With these tools, Rod Wave began to turn his life around by making music. His father and a family friend later started a record label called Hit House Entertainment to help his career before he signed with Alamo Records.

Career

2015–2020: First Mixtapes and Albums

Rod Wave started his music career in 2015 by releasing mixtapes. In 2019, he released the mixtape PTSD, which included the song "Heart on Ice". The song became a huge hit on YouTube and TikTok and climbed to number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Later that year, he toured with the rapper Kevin Gates, which he said helped him grow as an artist.

On November 1, 2019, he released his first official album, Ghetto Gospel. It reached number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart.

His second album, Pray 4 Love, came out on April 3, 2020. It was a huge success, debuting at number 2 on the Billboard 200. Several songs from the album made it onto the Hot 100 chart, including "Rags2Riches", which became his highest-charting song at the time. In August 2020, XXL magazine named him to its yearly Freshman Class list, which highlights the best new rappers.

2021–2022: Reaching Number One

Green performing in Pittsburgh during his Beautiful Mind Tour, 2022.

On March 26, 2021, Rod Wave released his third album, SoulFly. It went straight to number one on the Billboard 200, becoming his first chart-topping album. It was the most pre-saved album on Apple Music for two weeks before its release. He performed the hit song "Tombstone" from the album on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He later went on a 36-city tour across the United States to support the album.

His fourth album, Beautiful Mind, was released on August 12, 2022. It also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making it his second number-one album in a row. He followed this with a 25-city tour.

Later that year, on November 18, 2022, he released a short album called an EP, titled Jupiter's Diary: 7 Day Theory. It also did well, reaching number 9 on the charts.

2023–Present: Continued Success

Green performing in Chicago during his Nostalgia Tour, 2023.

Rod Wave's success continued into 2023. On September 15, he released his fifth album, Nostalgia. It became his third album in a row to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. The album was so popular that it stayed at number one for a second week. To celebrate, he went on a major 35-city arena tour called the Nostalgia Tour.

On October 11, 2024, Rod Wave released his sixth album, Last Lap. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. This made him the only male artist to have a new album in the top ten every single year from 2019 to 2024. He also announced a tour with the same name to support the album.

In April 2025, he released the song "Sinners" for the soundtrack of the movie of the same name.

Artistry

Influences

Green has taken inspiration from a variety of artists such as Adele (left) and Tupac Shakur (right).

Rod Wave grew up listening to artists like E-40, Kanye West, and Kevin Gates. He has said that his biggest inspirations are the rapper Tupac Shakur and the singer Adele. He feels he can hear the emotion and life experiences in Adele's music. He is also a big fan of Ed Sheeran and said that both Sheeran and Adele helped him find his own musical voice.

Musical style

Rod Wave is known for his honest lyrics that often talk about his personal life, feelings, and relationships. He has described making music as a form of "therapy" that helps him deal with his emotions.

Critics have praised his "soul grabbing" lyrics and "entrancing" hooks. His music is a mix of different styles, including hip-hop, R&B, and trap. He also sometimes includes elements of Gospel music in his songs. He is also known for using samples, which means he takes a small piece of an older song and builds a new song around it. For example, his song "Cold December" uses a sample from a Hank Williams Jr. song.

Personal life

Green has twin daughters.

Discography

• Ghetto Gospel (2019)
• Pray 4 Love (2020)
• SoulFly (2021)
• Beautiful Mind (2022)
• Nostalgia (2023)
• Last Lap (2024)

Tours

Headlining

• Ghetto Gospel Tour (2020)
• SoulFly Tour (2021)
• Beautiful Mind Tour (2022)
• Nostalgia Tour (2023)
• Last Lap Tour (2024)

Supporting

• I'm Him Tour (Kevin Gates) (2019)

Awards and nominations

See also

• List of highest-certified music artists in the United States