Rod Wave Sued Over $27M ‘Last Lap’ Tour Advance, Allegedly Used It on ‘Private Jets and Lavish Second Homes’

The promoter of Rod Wave’s Last Lap circuit is suing the R&B vocalist and rapper for allegedly holding onto $27 cardinal worthy of advances contempt refusing to decorativeness the 35-date trek.

Rod (Rodarius Marcell Green) faced the claims successful a Monday (Sept. 29) national tribunal suit from Grizzly Touring, a associated unrecorded events task betwixt AG Entertainment, Mammoth Touring and CTS Eventim. Grizzly partnered with Rod past twelvemonth for a North American arena tour supporting his October 2024 medium Last Lap, which debuted astatine No. 2 connected the Billboard 200.

The Last Lap circuit was expected to see 35 shows, and Grizzly allegedly precocious Rod $57 cardinal to screen expenses similar travel, lodging and accumulation costs. But according to the lawsuit, Rod lone completed 26 performances that earned $30 cardinal against the guarantee, leaving $27 cardinal successful advances that helium present won’t repay.

“Artist refuses to wage Grizzly a azygous penny of the much than $27 cardinal helium owes, and was required to wage successful the archetypal instance, and has alternatively chosen to walk his beforehand connected backstage jets and lavish 2nd homes,” wrote Grizzly’s lawyers from the steadfast Weil Gotshal & Manges.

Grizzly alleges that galore Last Lap shows had to beryllium canceled due to the fact that Rod upped the standard of his circuit accumulation without warning, requiring much clip to enactment up and instrumentality down his arena sets and making it intolerable to play shows back-to-back arsenic primitively scheduled.

But the suit says Rod is present unfairly blaming these canceled dates connected Grizzly, citing a September Billboard interview successful which the vocalist said his promoter messed up routing for the tour. Rod besides said successful the Billboard interrogation that helium plans to motorboat a caller circuit done his ain company, Mainstay Touring, successful precocious 2025 — a breach of the exclusivity clause successful his declaration with Grizzly, per the lawsuit.

Grizzly present wants a tribunal bid forcing Rod to repay his $27 cardinal advance, positive further fiscal damages for breach of contract. The promoter is besides asking for an injunction blocking Rod from embarking connected a self-promoted circuit without Grizzly’s involvement.

“As a effect of artist’s actions, Grizzly has suffered and volition proceed to endure irreparable harm, including harm to its goodwill and concern reputation,” reads the complaint. “Artist’s actions are a wide breach of Grizzly’s exclusive close to beforehand and marketplace artist’s shows, which are uniquely popular.”

Reps for Rod did not instantly instrumentality a petition for remark connected Wednesday (Oct. 1). But the suit attaches a Sept. 18 missive successful which Rod’s attorney, David Rose of Pryor Cashman, denied that the vocalist breached immoderate agreements with Grizzly.

Rose writes successful this missive that the canceled Last Lap shows were “solely attributable” to Grizzly’s ain errors, including “onerous and inexplicable routing and booking decisions” and failures to decently vessel Rod’s touring equipment.

“As a effect of Grizzly’s manifest breaches, the statement and immoderate exclusivity provisions contained successful it are nary longer ...