Rod Wave: Charting the Rise of a Soulful Rap Phenomenon
by Victor Oluwagbemi
Update:
- When Did Rod Wave’s Last Album Last Lap Come Out?
- Last Lap Tracklist
- Rod Wave Discography
- Rod Wave’s Top Hits
- The Early Life of Rod Wave
- Personal Life of Rod Wave
- Tour Information on Rod Wave
Thumbnail: "Rodwavelogo" by Rodarious Green (a.k.a. Rod Wave) or the graphic artist. is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Who Is Rod Wave?
One of the pioneers of trap-soul, Rod Wave, is a 26-year-old rapper from St. Petersburg, Florida whose real name is Rodarius Green. The name Rod Wave comes from the shortened Rodarius combined with “synthwave,” a popular music genre.
Green exploded onto the musical scene in 2019 with his popular single, “Heart of Ice,” which first went viral on TikTok, and the Alamo Records star has released six studio albums with his most recent, Last Lap, coming out on October 11, 2024. Green has been on tour promoting the album on his Last Lap Tour since October 18 in Phoenix, Arizona.
YouTube
When he was still attending Lakewood Elementary School, Green’s parents divorced and his dad eventually ended up in jail, causing much financial distress to his family. Like many in that situation, Green took to the streets to make money and he also eventually found trouble and ended up in juvenile detention centers.
Green attended Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg— the oldest city in the United States—where he was chosen to the All-State Elementary Chorus in both 2009 and 2010.
After his dad Rodney “Fatz” Green was released from incarceration, he decided to take some steps to make sure that his son didn’t follow the same destructive path and Rodney joined the Spartans football team. His dad bought him a microphone and his brother bought him a computer to help foster his love for music.
When another mentor and close friend of his dad, Derek "Uncle Dee" Lane, was released from jail, Fatz and Uncle Dee aligned to form Hit House Entertainment to support Rodney and his confidence and craft grew. He would later sign with Alamo Records.
Like Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg back in the day and many other modern stars like Jelly Roll, Hardy, and Ethel Cain, music provided a life-saving creative outlet and ultimately a career for the kid who would become Rod Wave. Music matters.
When Did Rod Wave’s Last Album Last Lap Come Out?
The sixth studio LP from Rod Wave, Last Lap, was released through Alamo Records on October 11, 2024, exactly one week before Green went on tour to promote the album. It represented a follow-up to his fifth studio album titled Nostalgia released in 2023.
Last Lap features guest appearances from Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, Be Charlotte, Wild Rivers, and Rylo Rodriguez and it debuted at the No. 2 spot on the US Billboard chart selling the equivalent of 127,000 album units.
Last Lap was the seventh straight Top 10 on the chart for Rod Wave making him the only musical artist other than icon Taylor Swift to hit the charts in the Top 10 every year from 2019 to 2024. Not bad for a troubled kid from St. Pete.
Last Lap Tracklist
There are 23 songs on Rod Wave’s latest album*, Last Lap*. The title track is the album’s second song. Green’s respect for former NBA star Michael Jordan is shown in this album in the songs “Mike” (“...in arenas, b****, I'm Jordan) and the beautiful last song on the release titled “Jersey Numbers,” appropriately track No. 23 and the famous jersey number worn by Chicago Bulls star Jordan for most of his illustrious career. Respect.
Turtle Race
Last Lap
Apply Pressure
25
F** The Fame (with Lil Baby and Lil Yachty)
Federal Nightmares
Angel with an Attitude
The Best
Never Mind
Mike
Even Love
Waited 2 Late (with Wild Rivers)
D.A.R.E.
The Mess They Made
Karma
Spaceship
Lost in Love (with Be Charlotte)
Bachelor
Scared Love
Fall Fast in Love
Passport Junkie
IRan
Jersey Numbers (with Rylo Rodriguez)
Rod Wave Discography
Rod Wave has one EP, five mixtapes, 47 singles and six studio albums:
Ghetto Gospel
(2019)
Pray For Love
(2020)
SoulFly
(2021)
Beautiful Mind
(2022)
Nostalgia
(2023)
Last Lap
(2024)
Rod Wave’s Top Hits
Turk and Caicos, featuring 21 savage
Cold December
Heart On Ice
Rags2Riches
Boyz Don’t Cry
The Early Life of Rod Wave
The story of Rod Wave, real name Rodarius Marcell Green, is one of rags to riches. He was born and raised in the Sunshine City, St. Petersburg, Florida. Growing up in streets filled with crime, violence, and poverty, Rod’s childhood took a drastic turn before middle school when his father got arrested for gun charges and witness intimidation.
His family, once comfortable with the wealth his father amassed from the streets, struggled financially after his arrest. A young Rodarius faced these difficulties, engaging in illegal activities like breaking into cars and houses. His escapades quickly got him behind in juvenile detention for shooting another teenager in the foot.
Displeased with Rod’s path upon release, his father encouraged him to explore music by buying him a microphone. In 10th grade, Rod began to write songs and record with his classmate and budding producer, Elijah Simmons.
Simmons inspired Rod’s stage name, saying, “People are going to ride your wave.” Today, the 25-year-old rapper channels his background while depicting universal stories of pain and hurt in his music.
Personal Life of Rod Wave
In 2020, Rod Wave welcomed twin daughters with his longtime girlfriend, Kelsey Dee Colman. When it comes to his personal life, Rod Wave is mysterious. In his mainstream career as a musician, Rod has given very few interviews. His music tells you everything you need to know. With it, Rod has been open about his struggle with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Tour Information on Rod Wave
Rod Wave Tour 2025
Rod Wave Tour 2023
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