Rod Wave’s meteoric rise to stardom is evident through tracks like 2019’s “Green Light” and 2020’s “Letter From Houston.” In September, he scored his third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with the release of Nostalgia.

In an interview published today (Dec. 8), the rapper spoke to the publication about his unconventional success, fatherhood and working with various musicians. Among the notable topics was Wave’s similarities to Taylor Swift in terms of charting.

“Being compared to Taylor Swift, you can’t even wrap your head around that kind of s**t,” Wave explained. “I remember ninth grade, being on my school bus listening to ‘Blank Space.’ Being in these conversations, it don’t really hit you. I was just on the sidelines. Now I’m really in the game. I went from the nosebleeds to the franchise player of the team with three rings.”

Notably, the “Cuban Links” hitmaker became the second artist to notch a No. 1 album in each of the last three years. Prior to that, Swift was the only person to do so since 2021. Drake soon followed with the release of For All The Dogs in October.

Elsewhere in the conversation with Billboard, Wave opened up about his run-in with former collaborator Lil Durk. The Florida native spoke about being awestruck after meeting his childhood favorite.

“The other day, I had to text Durk, ‘I’ve been listening to you since middle school.’ I was able to DM him and [watch it] land. He was just like, ‘You hard, too!’ I was just like, ‘I been listening to you. I f**k with you. I rock with you,’” Wave shared. “When you in the moment and you meet people face-to-face, it slips my mind because I have to be Rod Wave. F**k all that. I’m a fan. I’ve been listening to your s**t.”

Durk initially appeared on Wave’s “Heart On Ice (Remix)” in 2019. The pair later teamed up for “Rich Off Pain” from the Chicago rapper’s The Voice of the Heroes with Lil Baby. That same year, they came together for “Already Won.”