PawPaw Rod

PawPaw Rod, the Hawaii-born, Oklahoma-raised rapper and singer, discovered his passion for music and writing during his upbringing as a military brat. Moving frequently, he found solace in the familiar sounds of his favorite records. When speaking on his artistry, he explains that during his formative years in Norman, OK, “There was an absence of a dominant or regional sound, especially for black artists. This afforded me the freedom to pull from everything, crucially shaping my music today, a credit I attribute to my childhood experiences of moving around various cultures and tribes.” PawPaw Rod grew up on a steady diet of Maxwell, Prince, The Gap Band, and Bill Withers. He first caught the performance bug singing in church, sharing that “ever since that first time singing on stage, I knew I would forever be on a journey of chasing that feeling.”

PawPaw Rod released his explosive debut single, “HIT EM WHERE IT HURTS,” in 2020, seamlessly merging hip-hop, 60s soul, funk, and alternative.

Across four EPs — A PawPaw Rod EP (2021), Another PawPaw Rod EP (2022), This Must Be a PawPaw EP (2023), and Doobie Mouth (2024) — Rod has cultivated a catalog that has now surpassed 200M streams and drawn critical praise from outlets like Complex, FADER, GQ, Nylon, and Rolling Stone. His 2024 project Doobie Mouth arrived ahead of his first North American headline tour.

As a live performer, Rod has appeared on some of the biggest festival stages including Lollapalooza, Lightning in a Bottle, Austin City Limits, and Coachella — where he joined Neil Frances in 2024 and Polo & Pan in 2025.

Rod’s music has resonated across screens, featured in shows like Netflix’s Outer Banks, Apple TV+’s Platonic, and HBO’s Insecure, as well as major campaigns for Apple and Nike. In 2024, he was one of the faces of GAP’s global “Give Your Gift” holiday campaign, appearing in stores and on billboards worldwide. His music has also reached fans through syncs in MLB The Show and Fortnite Radio.