Q&A: Tommy Richman talks ‘Million Dollar Baby’ success, Grammy nominations and ‘not hip-hop’ drama

LOS ANGELES – Tommy Richman had nearly a million reasons to quit music – until “Million Dollar Baby” became one of the most popular songs of the year. Now the singer is aiming for Grammy nominations next week.

Two years ago, Richman was living in his parents’ basement in Virginia before moving to Los Angeles and crashing on his best friend’s air mattress, sometimes finding a spot on friends’ couches or floors. But her fortunes changed in April when she posted “Million Dollar Baby” on TikTok, taking her from obscurity to a viral sensation.

The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and later became 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 “Devil Is a Lie” and “Thought You Were the One” from his recently released debut album “Coyote” 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 is nominated for best rap song and melodic rap performance, The Hollywood Reporter reports. The filing follows backlash he received over his claim in a since-deleted post on X that he was not a hip-hop artist.

While Richman ultimately clarified his stance, he declined to comment further on the Grammy submissions.

In a recent interview, Richman told The Associated Press why he left “Million Dollar Baby” off his debut album, addressed the criticism and discussed his thoughts on his Grammy nomination on Nov. 8. Comments have been edited for length and clarity.