ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Rapper Rod Wave is facing a felony charge of battery by strangulation following a Sunday night arrest in his hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida.
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Amanda Sinni told the Tampa Bay Times that the performer, whose real name is Rodarius Marcell Green, was arrested on a warrant originating in Osceola County.
According to the arrest affidavit, Green, 23, was riding in the passenger seat of a 2021 Gray Dodge Durango, which he owns, and was taken into custody on the warrant during a traffic stop after officers confirmed his identification against his driver’s license, the newspaper reported.
Jail records indicate Green was booked into the Pinellas County Jail just after midnight Monday, but no other details regarding the charge have been made public.
According to PennLive.com, Green’s soul-trap style, in which he blends rap and R&B, has won him wide popularity since his 2019 debut album, “Ghetto Gospel,” which reached No. 10 on the Billboard 200. His sophomore album released the following year, “Pray 4 Love,” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
Green grew up in St. Petersburg’s Cromwell Heights neighborhood and signed with startup label Alamo Records in 2018, the Times reported.
Alamo Records, which was acquired by Sony Music Entertainment in 2021, declined in an email to the Times to comment on Green’s arrest.
Earlier this month, Green made headlines for giving away $25,000 in gas to local drivers.
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