Officer is giddy after pulling over Rod Wave, radioes station: “I got Rod Wave, bro;” Lets him off with seatbelt warning

Bodycam Footage Shows Cop’s Excited Reaction to Recognizing Rapper During Traffic Stop

An officer pulled over Rod Wave in April 2025 and immediately radioed his station with excitement. “Brown, I got Rod Wave pulled over, bro,” he said. The 62-second bodycam clip, posted on X by @mymixtapez, has reached over 1.5 million views and sparked discussion about celebrity treatment during traffic stops.

The footage shows the officer approaching the vehicle, recognizing the rapper, and stepping away to notify colleagues. He ultimately issued a seatbelt citation rather than a speeding ticket for the reported 83 mph speed. Wave expressed relief at the outcome.

From License and Registration to Fanboy in Seconds

Initially, the officer is addressing Rod Wave in a casual, familiar tone: “bro, you got your license on you, bro?” Rod Wave responds “Hell no.” The officer continues, “You know who you are? I just seen you coming.” Rod Wave is heard attempting to open or retrieve something inside the vehicle.

The officer instructs him to put his seatbelt on, then states, “I’ll be right back.” He steps away and immediately radios a colleague identified as “Brown”: “Brown, I got Rod Wave pulled over, bro.” A response or follow-up is heard inquiring along the lines of “Is he live?”

The officer elaborates on the stop, stating that Rod Wave “swear he tried to take off on me a little bit,” that the officer “had to catch him,” and recounting Rod Wave’s earlier comment about not knowing who the officer was. The radio communication conveys clear excitement and recognition.

The Radio Call That Gave Him Away

The officer’s tone shifts from standard traffic-stop formality to open enthusiasm once recognition occurs. His radio call to Brown is delivered with energy, and he immediately shares the news with his colleague. The stop becomes a story to tell.

He returns to the vehicle and informs Rod Wave that he will not cite him for the speed. “I ain’t going to give it to you for the speed we was going… It was only 83, it’s not a super speed,” he says. Instead, he issues a citation related to the seatbelt.

After that, the officer thanks Rod Wave for having the seatbelt on, requests a signature on the citation, and explains that the signature “is not an admission of guilt.” He provides standard options: appear on the court date or pay the fine online. Finally, he asks if Rod Wave has any questions.

Relief After a Tense Moment

Rod Wave replies that he appreciates the officer stopping, then adds with audible relief: “but… Thought we was going to get into it.” The officer closes the encounter amicably: “Come on, shawty. Have a good one.”

Rod Wave’s tone remains measured and low-key throughout, with brief moments of explanation and eventual relief. There is no raised voice, argument, or escalation. The encounter ends cordially.

Rod Wave’s relief is understandable given his history. He has had multiple interactions with law enforcement that did not end as smoothly. In December 2022, officers conducted a traffic stop in St. Petersburg, Florida, where Rod Wave became agitated and asserted the stop constituted harassment. In November 2025, Atlanta police arrested him following a traffic stop, recovering a firearm and suspected controlled substances.

83 mph Becomes a Seatbelt Ticket

The officer’s decision to forgo a speeding citation for 83 mph in favor of a seatbelt ticket reflects the discretion available to officers during traffic stops. The reported speed was not categorized as “super speed,” which may have influenced the decision.

The officer’s visible excitement and Rod Wave’s expressed relief highlight the mutual recognition of potential escalation that is defused by identity acknowledgment. The stop was resolved without further charges or complaint.

The delayed public release of the April 2025 footage until August 2026 places it within a sequence of Rod Wave’s other legal matters over the past year, including the Milton charges and the November Atlanta arrest. The video does not itself generate new criminal liability.

X Users Call Out the Celebrity Treatment

The original post by @mymixtapez ended up getting 12,000 likes and nearly 1.9 million views. A parallel post by @DailyLoud reached over 42,000 likes and more than 1.5 million views. Reactions were predominantly humorous and observational.

“That officer went from ‘license and registration’ to ‘y’all not gon’ believe who I just pulled over’ in 0.2 seconds,” one user wrote. Another commented: “Just so we are clear, a cop has never dapped me up in my life. Privilege is real.”

“You can tell Rod Wave was probably stressed for a second when the lights started flashing, only for the cop to turn into an absolute fanboy,” one user observed. “The way he called the station to brag is hilarious. This is definitely going on the precinct group chat immediately.”

Other comments focused on Rod Wave’s composure: “Rod Wave sitting there cool as ever while the dude lived out his biggest fan dream on the clock.” The footage was treated as entertaining rather than controversial, with secondary notes on how celebrity status altered the expected dynamics of a traffic stop.

Rod Wave’s Legal History

Rodarius Marcell Green, known professionally as Rod Wave, is a rapper and singer from St. Petersburg, Florida, born in 1999. He rose to prominence in the late 2010s and early 2020s with a style often described as trap-soul and melodic emotional rap. Notable releases include the albums PTSD, SoulFly, and Beautiful Mind.

The bodycam timestamp places the stop on April 3, 2025, at 1:09 a.m. The footage was not widely circulated until this week. The stop is distinct from other legal incidents involving Rod Wave. In December 2022, St. Petersburg officers conducted a traffic stop after observing him driving recklessly in a residential area.

In April 2025, shortly after the date of this bodycam, Milton, Georgia, police responded to a residence connected to Wave regarding a reported domestic disturbance that led to multiple charges including aggravated assault. Just months ago, in November 2025, Atlanta police arrested him following a traffic stop for allegedly speeding through a stop sign.

Final Thoughts

This incident shows a specific instance of differential treatment during a routine traffic stop predicated on the driver’s public recognition. The officer’s immediate radio announcement of the celebrity identity, the decision to forgo a speeding citation, and the overall amicable close stand in contrast to more adversarial traffic stops involving non-celebrity drivers.

This difference is observable in the officer’s shift from standard procedural language to enthusiastic reporting of the stop to colleagues. In the wider context of policing and celebrity, such interactions can contribute to public perceptions of unequal application of traffic enforcement based on fame and visibility.

The delayed release of the footage intersects with ongoing public discussion of Rod Wave’s legal history and the pattern of his interactions with police. The clip has become a notable example of how fame can alter the dynamics of a traffic stop.

The post Officer is giddy after pulling over Rod Wave, radioes station: “I got Rod Wave, bro;” Lets him off with seatbelt warning appeared first on Hip Hop Vibe.

source https://hip-hopvibe.com/news/officer-lets-speeding-rod-wave-go-with-seatbelt-warning/