Rod Wave Arrested on Serious Charge

Emerging Florida rapper Rod Wave was arrested on a domestic battery charge earlier this week. The musician, real name Rodarius Green, was taken into police custody after his 2021 Dodge Durango was pulled over “after a traffic infraction occurred” in St. Petersburg, Florida at 10:34 p.m. ET, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office confirmed, according to Pitchfork. The 23-year-wold rapper was arrested on a warrant out of Osceola County and charged with felony battery by strangulation.

Although Rod Wave has not released a statement on his arrest, Pitchfork reported that a series of videos shared to his Instagram Story appeared to document at least part of the arrest. One of the videos showed the musician driving in St. Petersburg and listening to music, with the final video appearing to show Rod Wave outside with “his face illuminated by the lights of a police car.” At this time, further details about his arrest, including details on the December 2021 warrant, are available. ABC News reported an attorney for the musician was not listed on jail records. A representative for Rod Wave offered no comment when reached by Pitchfork. The musician remained in custody at Pinellas County Jail until the night of May 3, per the outlet.

The St. Petersburg resident began working on his music career while at Lakewood High School, eventually breaking into the industry with a startup label, Alamo Records, in 2018. The rising musician boasts songs with more than 100 million views on YouTube, where he has more than four million subscribers. His latest album, Soul Fly, released in March 2021 and debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart. He recently gave away $25,000 worth of gasoline in his native St. Petersburg.

Rod Wave’s arrest came just after he announced over the weekend that his fourth album, Beautiful Mind, is finished, according to XXL. That announcement came as a surprise to some fans, as the rapper in January hinted that he was considering leaving the industry. In a video at the time, the musician told fans, “I’m only here for a little longer and when I say that I mean as in Rod Wave. I’m only here for a little minute, man. I done gave y’all straight dope, straight crack.” Prior to his arrest, the rapper did not reveal when Beautiful Mind is set to release.