"I’m sorry they prayed we fall" — Rod Wave pays tribute to his uncle and longtime manager Uncle Dee after his death

On July 3, 2024, Rod Wave took to social media to confirm the death of his longtime manager and uncle, Uncle Dee, who was also the CEO of Hit House Entertainment. Rod Wave paid tribute to his uncle on Instagram by posting a series of black and white photos of the two together in and out of recording studios.

“I love u so much pop I’m sorry they prayed we fall. I follow u every where l would follow u to heaven but [expletive] we started this sh*t I know how y’ mind work a thousand thoughts a min I swear when I was a kid I thought u was bigger the da president [expletive] u is gone always be da largest [expletive] da sickest [expletive] and any [expletive] say u ain’t doa [dead on arrival].”

Rod Wave's tribute to his uncle on Instagram (Image via @mymixtapez/X)

In a follow-up photo of his uncle sitting by a mixing board, Rod Wave wrote,

“F*ck rap [expletive] I member u taking me to school [expletive] picking me up [expletive], f*ck rap I member evert thing taught me wat would unc do all. Dat play in my mind."

Uncle Dee's cause of death is unknown at the time of writing this article.

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“I raised him when he was little kid, man" — Uncle Dee on his relationship with Rod Wave

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Uncle Dee, whose birth name is Dereck Lane, became an influential role model in Rod Wave's life after the latter's father got arrested when he was in middle school and served a six-year sentence for gun charges and witness intimidation.

After his father's arrest, Rod Wave, whose birth name is Rodarius Marcell Green, looked up to Uncle Dee, who was his mentor till he was also arrested and sent to federal prison for 10 years for conspiracy to distribute 8,000 pounds of marijuana.

Uncle Dee previously had a musical career cut short by his prison sentence. After his release, he helped Rod Wave record new songs and, in 2018, Wave was signed to Alamo Records.

Uncle Dee, who became the rapper's manager as his career soared, elaborated on his relationship with his nephew in an October 2023 interview with the Big Facts podcast, saying,

“I raised him [Rod Wave] when he was little kid, man. I was already in the music business, but I went to federal prison. That knocked me out [of] my game, but I got back out to this blessing with him. So, we took over.”

He continued,

“I moved him to Atlanta, up here. I got him out of the way because he was in school, really. Once he graduated, I knew he was going to go another way with his homeboys,” he added.

As CEO of Hit House Entertainment, a St. Petersburg record label founded by Rod Wave, Uncle Dee constantly worked with new artists. His latest lineup included OMN Esheezy and OMN Dolla Bill, whom he called "real talented kids."

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Rod Wave, often recognized as a pioneer of soul-trap music by fans, rose to prominence after his single Heart on Ice blew up on TikTok in 2019. His debut studio album, Ghetto Gospel, came out in 2019 and peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200.

He has since released four other albums, Pray 4 Love in 2020, SoulFly in 2021, Beautiful Mind in 2022, and Nostalgia in 2023.