Tommy Richman has taken the internet by storm in recent days after releasing his new song, “MILLION DOLLAR BABY.” Released on Friday (April 26), the record is already firing on all cylinders in streaming due to its funky sound and Richman's seamless vocal riffs.
Last week, Richman teased the track for the first time Tik Tok using a VHS-style recording with himself and his team grooving the record. It has since racked up 9.5 million views on the popular social media platform and is quickly entering the conversation as a likely song of the summer contender.
With an unmistakable bassline and a catchy hook to win a girl over, “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” could foreshadow Richman's future success, as he sings: “You rep my city for so damn time/ But you still don't pay attention to me, sound me next/ VA next, I'm on their neck, running for control.”
Despite his small discography at this point, Richman is equipped to make some noise. A versatile singer who can jump between alternative and R&B at the drop of a hat, Richman has a formidable team behind him – most notably Brent Faiyaz after the two joined forces last year through the singer's creative agency, ISO Supremacy.
“In launching my new label ISO Supremacy and partnering with PULSE Records, we created this platform to give artists like Tommy Richman a creative home with the ability to scale global impact and an accessible team that keeps creativity in the first line. We will continue to make history,” Faiyaz added.
Here are six things about “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” singer Tommy Richman.
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He is from Woodbridge, Virginia
Like his mentor Faiyaz, Richman hails from the DMV, mostly Virginia. In an interview with Miami New Times Last year, Richman spoke about the struggles of local Virginia artists trying to break into the industry.
“There's a lot of passion through the scene back home, and I feel like it's because a lot of people don't go crazy well,” Richman told New Hoursmall. “It's really hard to get your voice heard there. That's probably why a lot of people left Virginia, like Pharrell and Timbaland. It is very important for an artist to leave his nest. That way, you can appreciate where you're coming from.”
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He started taking music seriously before his sophomore year in college
In one interview with Lyrical Lemonade in 2022, Richman detailed his decision to pursue music before returning to college. According to him, after receiving positive feedback from a song he made titled “Pleasantville”, he decided to call it quits and pursue a career.
“Going into my sophomore year, I made a song called 'Pleasantville' and a lot of people liked it and I thought it might be something I could do,” he recalled. “Then I dropped 'Melba,' which was a breakup song about a girl, but it was really a breakup about leaving college. At that point I dropped out of college for music and started taking it seriously. Ought!”
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His first EP, PaycheckAbolished in 2022
Richman released his first EP in 2022 Paycheck, which features the project's previously unreleased song, “Star Girl.” Despite the large offering—the EP is four tracks—Richman has shown promise as a genre-bending artist with pop sensibilities who can also flirt with rock, as evidenced on “Games.” Since then, Richman has released several other EPs, ALLIGATORhis ISO Supremacy debut, THE HURRY and his recent double COOLER.
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He cites NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman as one of his inspirations
While Richman has cited artists such as Lil Wayne, 50 Cent and Motley Crue as musical influences, he also looks to inspiration outside of music, especially by a certain NBA Hall of Famer: Dennis Rodman.
“He's actually one of the punkest people ever,” Richman told Lyrical Lemonade. “In his day, it was ridiculous to be so metro, and athletic, and different, and hip and party as hard as he did. I mean, he played on the greatest basketball team of all time, he was defensive player of the year, and he was out with Carmen Electra in Vegas every other night. I want to interview Dennis Rodman one day. Say what you want, but Kim Jong Un's friendship is iconic!”
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He is the first artist signed to Brent Faiyaz's ISO Supremacy
Last year, Advertising sign exclusively reported that PULSE Records has teamed up with Brent Faiyaz's ISO Supremacy and formed a joint venture with the R&B singer-songwriter. Richman was the first artist under Brent's wing and even opened the singer's wing F*ck the World, It's a Wasteland tour.
“I'm grateful and amazed at the support from Brent, ISO Supremacy and the team at PULSE Records, which motivates me,” Richman said last year. “Having the opportunity to open for Brent on his sold-out tour is an absolute honor and to be signed to PULSE Records, a creative community that truly understands music and supports artists, I couldn't ask for more.”
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Appeared on Faiyaz's 2023 album, Larger than life
Shortly after signing to Faiyaz's ISO Supremacy and appearing on the singer's tour, Richman teamed up with his DMV brothers on “Upset.” Nestled within the latter part of Faiyaz's album, the earworm became a favourite, giving fans a taste of the duo's potential. In retrospect, the song sonically shares the same funky elements that make “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” a home run.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/lists/tommy-richman-million-dollar-baby/
