Courtesy of Rod Wave/Instagram
Who Is Rod Wave? Rapper Arrested on Drug and Weapon Charges on Same Day as Grammy Nominations
Updated on November 13:
Rapper Rod Wave made headlines when he was arrested on weapon and drug charges in Atlanta, Georgia on the same day he received his first Grammy nomination. In light of his arrest, Life & Style breaks down everything to know about Wave’s career and legal troubles.
Who Is Rod Wave?
Wave – whose real name is Rodarius Marcell Green – is an American rapper, singer and songwriter who is signed to Alamo Records.
Wave’s first big hit was his 2019 single “Heart on Ice,” which went viral on TikTok and peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. He went on to release his debut album, Ghetto Gospel, in November 2019, followed by his second album, Pray 4 Love, in April 2020.
He went on to release the albums SoulFly in 2021, Beautiful Mind in 2022, Nostalgia in 2023, Last Lap in 2024 and Ghetto Gospel 2 in 2025.
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Wave received his first Grammy nomination on November 7, 2025 in the best song written for visual media category for his song “Sinners,” which was featured in the 2025 film Sinners.
Rod Wave Was Arrested on Weapon and Drug Charges in November 2025
On the same day that Wave earned his first Grammy nomination, the musician was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm or knife and reckless driving, according to Fulton County jail records viewed by NBC News.
Atlanta News First reported that an officer seized a baby bottle “containing 1 fl oz of a purple liquid which I suspected to be promethazine,” which is also known as lean or purple drank, when he was pulled over.
He was arrested on November 7 and released on November 8, according to the outlet.
Wave’s defense attorneys, Drew Findling, Marissa Goldberg and Zack Findling, issued a statement about his arrest to Life & Style, saying that on the same day he “earned a Grammy nomination, he was unjustly profiled and unlawfully arrested in Atlanta.”
“The arresting officer belongs to the Atlanta Police Department’s controversial Crime Suppression Unit — a group known for its aggressive tactics and emphasis on high arrest numbers rather than genuine public safety,” the legal team continued.
“Mr. Green was targeted as part of this quota-driven approach, a practice that undermines justice and erodes community trust,” the attorneys added. “We look forward to vigorously challenging this baseless arrest and the clear violations of Mr. Green’s rights in court.”
Meanwhile, Findling told TMZ that Wave already made his first court appearance and was released on $8,000 bond.
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Rod Wave Has a History of Legal Issues
Wave was previously arrested twice in Georgia earlier in 2025. In May, he was arrested on 14 separate charges that included aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit a felony, according to public records viewed by Life & Style. He was then arrested a second time in June for battery.
Additionally, he was arrested on a battery charge in October 2020.
The musician was released on bond following all three arrests. The outcomes of the cases are not currently clear, and his attorneys did not respond to Life & Style’s inquiries about the cases.
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