Tommy Richman talks ‘Million Dollar Baby’ success, Grammy nominations and ‘non-hip-hop’ drama

LOS ANGELES – Tommy Richman had almost a million reasons to quit music – until… Million Dollar Baby “became one of the most popular songs of the year. Now the singer is eyeing a Grammy nomination next week.

Richman lived in his parents’ basement in Virginia two years ago, then moved to Los Angeles to sleep on his best friend’s air mattress and sometimes find space on friends’ couches or floors. But his fortunes changed in April when he posted “Million Dollar Baby” on TikTok, catapulting him from obscurity to viral sensation.

The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went on to become the longest-running No. 1 song on the R&B Songs chart, spanning 22 weeks, and also topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. His songs” The devil is a lie ” And ” Thought you were the one“, a single from his recently released debut album “Coyote”, both reached the top 10 on the R&B Songs chart.

But despite Richman’s R&B success, his song “Million Dollar Baby” will compete in two hip-hop categories: the track was nominated for best rap song and melodic rap performance; according to The Hollywood Reporter. Submission follows backlash he received a response to the claim that he is not a hip-hop artist in a post on X that has since been deleted.

Although Richman ultimately clarified his positionhe declined to comment on his Grammy performances.

In a recent interview, Richman spoke with The Associated Press about the reason he dropped “Million Dollar Baby” from his debut album, how to deal with criticism and his thoughts on the Nov. 8 Grammy nomination. Comments have been edited for length and clarity.

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AP: What do you think about a possible Grammy nomination?

RICHMAN: It’s a childhood dream. I don’t care about winning. By and large, we had the largest number of songs. Who else had it? Kidz Bop Kids song? I don’t feel like I deserve anything. I pray this happens. I think that’s how we’ll get the nomination. If I don’t get nominated, I think it will give me a reason to work harder. But I think we will be nominated.

AP: You’ve faced some criticism over your statement that you’re not a hip-hop artist. How would you classify yourself?

RICHMAN: I’m a singer. When I say something, I just tweet about how I feel. I forgot about the way I speak and how people perceive it a certain way. I saw a video discussing what I said. I appreciate people seeing that I didn’t come from a place of malice.

I came from the position of, “Hey, this is my sound, and I create many types of vibrations, and I don’t want to be limited to anything specific.” I definitely need to watch myself say things online. I forgot I had a platform. People will find a reason to throw negativity at me. I know there is a lot of negativity online, and that’s okay. That comes with it.

AP: What was the strategy for excluding “Million Dollar Baby” and “Devil is a Lie” from your debut album?

RICHMAN: I wanted to take this creative risk that went against the industry quota. I’m really proud of this work. We recorded this album before we wrote these songs. In my mind I feel: “I will give you these songs.” That’s how difficult I think this project is. I tried to stand my ground. I’m proud. I don’t have any regrets. I know what is meant for me and my friends. When I look back 10 years later, I really stuck to my guns and created this beautiful piece of art.

AP: Your debut album received mixed reviews. How do you rate the reception so far?

RICHMAN: People who get it, get it. I try not to read reviews too much. I saw a few reviews from publications that I used to really look up to. Like, “Wow, one day when I put out my album, they’re going to review it.” I didn’t like the words they said about the album. But people have the right to their own opinion. I can’t get too upset. No one will be on the same wavelength of your thinking.

At first I thought, “They don’t understand me.” They don’t know that I spent four years in a basement creating this sound and working with all these people. They just hear this music and judge it. Nothing personal. People who are too critical of my sound. I appreciate them for listening and voicing their thoughts. Nobody listened before. I’m glad this is happening now.

AP: How did Million Dollar Baby change your world and those around you?

RICHMAN: My life has changed in many ways. I was able to help my friends in life because of this one song. One of my friends just bought (a house) in Silverlake (Los Angeles area). They had no credit rating. But they sent an email that they had written the song “Million Dollar Baby.” They literally got the house because we wrote that song. They have a very nice crib. There are a lot of beautiful things there.

AP: You went from living in your mom’s basement to recently buying her a house. What influence did she have on you?

RICHMAN: When I was about to drop out of college, I was very grateful to my mom. She was like, “No, you can do this. If you don’t like school singing, just do it. Go and do what you want.” She helped me in many ways. I will never be able to repay her. I bought her a crib the other day. Even this is not enough.

AP: Did you think that the song would become popular so quickly?

RICHMAN: I never thought we’d have a hit right away… The label didn’t even know it would be a hit. I remembered sending it to them and asking, “What do you think?”

Their response: “Oh, that was cool.”

Nobody thought it was a hit until we posted it on TikTok. This is why the music industry is in an interesting position. Some artists who think they will sell can’t, but some can. Literally the public and TikTok decide what is a hit.

AP: What’s next for you in your career?

RICHMAN: We’re going to tour for the album. It will be disgusting. I’m working on another project. I know this is the one who will go crazy. With Coyote, I wanted to show that I am a real artist. I’m going to give the people what they want so people can come. Then I’m going to make another art book that people probably won’t get. This is what I plan for the year. Do a couple of festivals if we get the chance. I want to grow. An excellent version not only for others, but also for me.