50 Fun Facts About Rod Wave

What is Rod Wave's real name?

He was born on August 27, 1998; his father, Rodney 'Fatz' Green, bought him his first microphone.

Rod Wave was born and raised in which Florida city?

He attended Lakewood Elementary and Lakewood High School there and made All-State Elementary Chorus in 2009 and 2010.

Rod Wave is recognised as a pioneer of which sub-genre?

Critics praise his strong singing voice and his blend of hip hop and R&B.

Which record label signed Rod Wave in 2018?

In January 2021 he publicly called the label out for not paying him and threatened to hold back SoulFly.

What was the title of Rod Wave's first mixtape, released in 2015?

The Hunger Games trilogy followed, with the last two instalments coming out on Alamo.

'Heart on Ice', the song that broke Rod Wave, first appeared on which 2019 mixtape?

The tape came out on June 14, 2019; a juvenile counsellor had once told him he suffered from PTSD.

'Heart on Ice' went viral on which platform before peaking at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100?

An official remix featured Lil Durk and served as a single for the debut album.

Which rapper took Rod Wave on tour as a supporting act in 2019 and executive-produced his debut album?

Rod Wave said the I'm Him Tour taught him 'how big the world was' and made him humbler.

Where did Ghetto Gospel, the debut album, peak on the Billboard 200 albums chart?

Its singles included the 'Heart on Ice' remix with Lil Durk, 'Cuban Links' with Kevin Gates and 'Close Enough to Hurt'.

Pray 4 Love, released April 3, 2020, debuted at what position on the Billboard 200 albums chart?

Six singles preceded it, including 'Dark Clouds', 'Thug Motivation' and 'Girl of My Dreams'.

'Rags2Riches', from Pray 4 Love, features which artist on the original version?

The remix added Lil Baby; the song reached number 12 on the Hot 100, his highest chart peak at the time.

Rod Wave was the first artist in which streaming service's 'Up Now' programme in April 2020?

He said the service had helped get his music out 'before people really knew who I was'.

Which album gave Rod Wave his first number one on the Billboard 200 in March 2021?

It moved 130,000 album-equivalent units in its first week and was the most pre-saved album on Apple Music for two weeks.

Which two singles from the 2021 album both reached the top 20 of the Hot 100, his highest-charting hits?

He performed 'Tombstone' on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in April 2021.

Which rapper features on 'Richer', a single from the 2021 album?

SoulFly was preceded by three singles: 'Street Runner', 'Tombstone' and 'Richer'.

On which TV programme did Rod Wave perform 'Tombstone' on April 8, 2021?

A month later the NMPA named him the biggest artist-songwriter of the first quarter of 2021, with ten certifications.

'By Your Side', released November 14, 2021, was the lead single of which album?

'Cold December' followed in January 2022 and 'Sorry 4 The Wait', a remix of Future's 'Wait for U', came in May.

The fourth album was announced for June 3, 2022, but actually arrived on which date that year?

Fans complained on social media about the delay; 'Stone Rolling' and 'Alone' were released as singles in the meantime.

Rod Wave guested on 'Home Ain't Home', a track from which artist's 2022 album The Last Slimeto?

It was the thirteenth cut on the album and came out days before Beautiful Mind.

What was the name of the eight-track EP Rod Wave released in November 2022?

Led by 'Break My Heart', it peaked at number 9 on the Billboard 200, his fourth top-ten debut.

'Fight the Feeling', the lead single from Nostalgia, peaked at what position on the Hot 100?

'Call Your Friends' reached 18 and 'Come See Me' 19 in the run-up to the album.

Which three artists have guest appearances on Nostalgia?

All eighteen tracks on the album charted on the Hot 100.

How many album-equivalent units did Nostalgia move in its first week to debut at number one?

Only 1,500 of those were pure album sales; it stayed at number one for a second week.

Which pop superstar was the only other act with a chart-topping solo album in each of the same three years as Rod Wave?

SoulFly, Beautiful Mind and Nostalgia all opened at number one in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Where did Last Lap debut on the Billboard 200 albums chart in October 2024?

It moved 127,000 units and was his seventh consecutive top-ten album.

What was the lead single from Last Lap?

It peaked at 51 on the Hot 100; 'Fall Fast in Love' followed a day after the album was announced.

How many stops did the 2024 Last Lap Tour have?

Moneybagg Yo, Toosii, Lil Poppa, Dess Dior and Eelmatic supported.

Which of these artists features on Last Lap?

Be Charlotte, Lil Baby, Rylo Rodriguez and Wild Rivers also appear.

In April 2025 Rod Wave released the lead single to the soundtrack of which Michael B. Jordan film?

The video stars Woody McClain and Michael B. Jordan himself.

Which two artists did Rod Wave name as inspirations in a 2020 Billboard interview?

In 2023 he also named Ed Sheeran a favourite; the same interview said Adele and Sheeran helped him 'find his voice'.

What sport did Rod Wave's father steer him into at Lakewood High School to keep him off the streets?

His father bought a microphone and his brother a computer to push him toward music at the same time.

How many stops were on the 2020 Ghetto Gospel Tour, which was scheduled to end in his hometown?

It was due to run from Augusta, Georgia, on March 3 to St. Petersburg on April 3, 2020.

Which artist's song 'Wait for U' did Rod Wave remix as 'Sorry 4 The Wait' in May 2022?

He used the release to announce Beautiful Mind, which then missed its date.

Roughly how many digital copies has Rod Wave sold in the United States, per his RIAA certifications?

That places him among the highest-certified artists in the country.

Which two Nostalgia singles came out on consecutive days in the week of the album's release?

They peaked at 25 and 55 on the Hot 100 respectively.

Which industry group named Rod Wave the biggest artist-songwriter of the first quarter of 2021?

He racked up ten certifications in that quarter alone.

Rod Wave has twin daughters with his long-time on-and-off girlfriend, known as what?

He rarely discusses his family in interviews, preferring to let the songs do it.

Which collaboration with his mentor was a single from Ghetto Gospel?

Gates executive-produced the album after taking Rod Wave on the road.

Which company released Nostalgia and listed it among its top-earning projects?

It has earned him nominations for a Grammy, an American Music Award, a Billboard Music Award and an iHeartRadio award across his career.

Which project did Rod Wave announce in 2026 as his first album after Last Lap?

Rod Wave set its release for August 28, 2026, the day after his 28th birthday.

Which Chicago rapper featured on the 'Heart on Ice' remix released as a 2019 single?

The remix was one of three singles that preceded the debut album, alongside 'Close Enough to Hurt'. The original had already gone viral on YouTube and TikTok.

'Cold December' samples 'O.D.'d in Denver', a song by which country singer?

Sampling from outside hip-hop is a Rod Wave signature; his catalogue also borrows from New Edition and Paramore. 'Cold December' came out in January 2022.

'Already Won' is built on 'Can You Stand the Rain', a hit by which R&B group?

The 1988 original came from the Heart Break album. Rod Wave's flip is one of several tracks where he sings over a melodic sample rather than a trap beat.

His 2021 tour was the first under Live Nation's joint venture with which festival brand?

The 36-date run opened in Houston on August 27, 2021 and wrapped in Seattle that October, supporting the album that had given him his first chart-topper.

Which Baton Rouge rapper accused Rod Wave of stealing his lyrics in November 2023?

The accuser was one of the artists Rod Wave grew up listening to, alongside E-40, Chief Keef and Kanye West. He claimed his music had been sampled without payment and said he would sue.

In 2025 Grizzly Touring sued Rod Wave over unrepaid tour advances worth how much?

The promoter said he had been advanced $57 million for the 2024 tour but played only 26 of 35 scheduled shows. Rod Wave answered by founding his own company, Mainstay Touring.

What label did Rod Wave's father and 'Uncle Dee' found to support him before his Alamo deal?

His father, Rodney 'Fatz' Green, also bought him a microphone, while his brother bought him a computer, after pushing him into high-school football to get him off the streets.

The 22-stop Ghetto Gospel Tour announced in January 2020 was set to open in which city?

The run was booked for March 3 to April 3, 2020, finishing in his hometown, but it landed just as the pandemic was shutting down live music across the United States.

Rod Wave was named to XXL's Freshman Class in which year?

The nod came on August 11 of that year, a few days after the deluxe edition of his second album added Yo Gotti and Lil Baby to the tracklist.

His track 'Crazy' samples which Paramore song?

The Paramore original was a 2013 single that won the band its first Grammy. Rod Wave's taste runs wide; he has also named Adele and Ed Sheeran as artists who helped him find his voice.