Rodarius Marcell Green (born August 27, 1999) is better known as Rod Wave. He is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Green is known for his strong voice and for mixing hip-hop, modern rhythm, and blues in his work. His popularity reached its peak in 2019 with his single Heart on Ice, reaching # 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut studio album, Ghetto Gospel, was released in 2019 and peaked at # 10 on the US Billboard 200. Green’s second album, Pray 4 Love was released in 2020 and peaked at number two on the Billboard chart. Soulfly’s third studio album was released on March 26, 2021.
Pray 4 Love fully demonstrates why the author is called the most powerful voice in southern hip-hop. Although, in one genre category, Rod Wave cannot be closed. He sings sentimental soul songs. He can charge a technical verse as 21 Savage respects him, maybe a falsetto chorus like The Weeknd, or he can switch to an insinuating baritone like a country star. He turns out not songs as if written according to a boring standard but the dramas of a person who has overcome through a lot.
Musical career
Green’s career began in 2018. He released some mixtapes independently signing with Alamo Records. On June 14, 2019, Rod Wave released his PTSD mixtape, which featured the song Heart On Ice. It went viral on YouTube and TikTok, peaking at # 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Rod’s debut album, Ghetto Gospel, was released on November 1, 2019, and peaked at # 10 on the Billboard 200.
Rod Wave’s album Pray 4 Love appeared on April 3, 2020, and debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200. Several songs from it made it to the Billboard Hot 100, including Rags2Riches. It peaked at # 12 and became his highest chart track. On August 11, 2020, Rod Wave was included in XXL 2020 magazine’s list of freshmen. In July 2020, Green revealed that he was working on his third album. It was originally scheduled for release on August 27, 2020. On March 6, 2021, Greene released the song listing for the album, Soulfly. It was released on March 26 and included the only guest appearance from Polo G on the song Richer.
Interesting facts about Rod Wave
- Rod Wave is originally from St. Petersburg, Florida. Here’s what’s weird about this place: Wikipedia paints the perfect resort town with great weather 360 days a year, but Petersburgh topped the top of America’s saddest cities, thanks to high rates of suicide, unemployment, and the number of people taking antidepressants.
- Green began to sing in the fifth grade. While growing up, I listened to E-40, Chingy, Boosie Badazz, Kanye West, and Kevin Gates. With Kevin Gates, he has the Cuban Links track, which has been watched 70 million times on YouTube.
- In early 2020, Greene was involved in a near-fatal car accident. Rod Wave had an internal brain hemorrhage and other injuries. He elaborated on this in the single Through the Wire, which was released in July 2020.
- Rod Wave was recognized for his sincerity and insightful ability to touch the heart of the listener. Rachel George of ABC News Radio noted that music is a direct expression of Rod’s life. That is why he is cautious but open to working with other artists who share his passion.
- Pray 4 Love is not his first release. Their debut album, Ghetto Gospel, was released last fall and peaked at number ten on the Billboard charts. Pitchfork wrote about the song that it might seem it was recording in a room with a piano in some church.
- Rod Wave is a TikTok star. You may not have known his name until today, but you probably heard his track Heart on Ice, to which millions of people dance on TikTok. The author himself admits that he did not even know about the existence of such a social network until he was told that his song was very popular on TikTok.
- Rod Wave does not like rap about drugs and clubs. He said that he could not listen to such songs. When he was a rap fan, he loved listening to people talking about real shit. He listened to 2Pac because he talked about real shit. It’s also in Lil Boosie’s songs. It is the kind of music he loves. Rod Wave said he didn’t always have a Bentley and didn’t always have 6 million. Therefore, he does not want to talk about this because it is pointless. All this may not be tomorrow. We must talk about the present: about how we feel.
Rod Wave doesn’t like what’s popular in music right now. Because all of these topics are about to change. Take pills? This shit will kill you. Be in clubs every night? Get bored. But life has its ups and downs. There is pain in life, and he gives people what he goes through. In his opinion, nothing else matters. He sings about love, pain, and everyday struggle. It will never lose its relevance.