Rod Wave – Pray 4 Love (Album Review)

Rod Wave proves he’s an underdog that you should pay attention to on “Pray 4 Love.”

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TOP 5

5. I REMEMBER

If you truly want to know who Rod Wave is, listen to “I Remember.” In the song, he talks about his poor relationships, his lost friends, his wins, his losses, and his first sandwich. Though the hook to the song is as emotional as an episode of ROC, the rapping you get on it is pretty trill.

4. ROAMING

Though I love how fearless of a singer Rod Wave is, I do think he has an uncanny ability to drop bars that are riveting. With that being said, on “Roaming,” Rod puts his head down and spits like a dude that thinks he’s his hood’s Pac.

Though Rod Wave delivers every single bar on “Roaming” with a level of nonchalance that is glaring, you cannot ignore how he attempts to dissect the emotional beat that powers the song utilizing a very complex flow.

You get Rod’s best rapping performance on “Roaming.”

3. THIEF IN THE NIGHT

I am convinced that Rod Wave recorded “Thief In The Night” in the shower. With the song featuring a beat that does everything in its power to evoke serious emotions out of you, Wave sings fearlessly, hitting us with harmonies that are beyond daring and melodies that are truly infectious. As for lyrically, the Florida rapper bounces between killer and remorseful lover on the song (What the f**k?).

2. RAGS2RICHES

I love how powerful “Rags2Riches” sounds. Not only does it feature a beat that knocks, but the hook that you get on the song is catchy, the lyrics are motivational, and the harmonies are extraordinary. To me,” Rags 2 Riches” is a great symbol of how far Rod Wave has come in a matter of months.

1. PRAY 4 LOVE

“Pray 4 Love” starts off Pray 4 Love emotionally. On it, Rod Wave spills his guts out about his fake friends, spiteful girlfriends, and deadly rivals. While the passionate beat that powers the song is beyond rivetting, I think it’s Rod’s ability to switch between gritty and soulful that will catch your attention the most.

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. PRAY 4 LOVE (4/5)

2. FUCK THE WORLD (3/5)

3. THIEF IN THE NIGHT (4/5)

4. THUG LIFE (3.5/5)

5. I REMEMBER (3.5/5)

6. RAGS2RICHES (4/5)

7. NO WEAKNESSES (3/5)

8. ROAMING (4/5)

9. THE GREATEST (3.5/5)

10. RIBBONS IN THE SKY (3.5/5)

11. 5% TINT (4/5)

12. GIRL OF MY DREAMS (3/5)

13. THUG MOTIVATION (4/5)

14. DARK CLOUDS (3.5/5)

OVERALL RATING

(C)

When Rod Wave raps, he reminds me of YoungBoy Never Broke Again. When he sings, he reminds me of Rich Homie Quan. I say we call him YoungBoy Never Rich Again. With that being said, what I noticed is that Rod likes to sing about some relationship s**t, while he likes to rap about some hood s**t. Whatever the case may be, his biggest draw is his ability to sound like a grown-ass man that got his toy taken by some bullies.

I think Rod Wave is more than capable of keeping listeners interested with the passion he shows in his music, but at the end of the day, he’s unqualified to be singing like the second-coming of Jaheim and he sounds way too similar to YoungBoy Never Broke Again when he spits his bars. I do think he has room to grow, but he may need to shed his underdog persona to do so (His underdog story is what’s holding him back, to me).