Martin Rohde completed an apprenticeship as a stonemason, but then became known as the art figure "Heiko", which he played for the first time in 2016 in the music video "Nettelbeckplatz" by the band Shacke One. The appeal that this amusing yet very human character, who always seems to be slightly drunk, had on the fans was enormous. So Rohde conceived a YouTube series that focuses on Heiko: "Heikos Welt" shows him doing everyday things, such as eating currywurst, bowling, playing badminton or cooking. With his friendly naturalness and sometimes childlike naiveté, Heiko has become a cult figure.

Martin Rohde is also an integral part of the "Nordachse", an artists' collective from Berlin. Since 2020, his likeness has adorned the label of the then new beer brand Nordberliner Pils, which was also created in the environment of the Nordachse.

In 2019 Rohde began shooting the feature film "Heikos Welt" under the direction of Dominik Galizia. The premiere took place at the 2021 Munich Film Festival, where Rohde was awarded the Förderpreis Neues Deutsches Kino for Best Leading Actor. At the achtung berlin 2021 festival, "Heikos Welt" won the new berlin film award for Best Audience Film. The German theatrical release was in May 2022.