Tommy Richman's 'Million Dollar Baby' Tries for Rap Grammy After He Declared He Wasn't a Hip-Hop Artist

Tommy Richman's "Million Dollar Baby" was just submitted for the rap categories at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards this February — even though, earlier this month, the song's creator claimed he wasn't a hip-hop artist before he clarified that comment.

"Million Dollar Baby," the booming, falsetto-drenched hit that emerged earlier this year, has become 2024's longest-running No. 1 song atop Billboard's R&B chart; it continues to be unescapable on social media such as TikTok. Surely, one would think that automatically puts it in high Grammy contention, regardless.

But is "Million Dollar Baby" a rap song, and should it be represented in those categories?

The controversy around Richman's back-and-forth remarks, coupled with the fact that it was he and his team who submitted the song for hip-hop Grammy categories, has been raising questions about the motives behind the musician who made one of this year's catchiest music creations.

Earlier this week, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Richman and his people had submitted the tune for the Best Rap Song and Best Melodic Rap Performance Grammys.

If nominated for those awards, it would compete with the year's hip-hop hits including Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," Megan Thee Stallion's "Hiss," 21 Savage's "Redrum," GloRilla's "Yeah Glo!" and "Like That" by Future, Metro Boomin and Lamar.

It seemed like quite a decision after recent events. On Oct. 2, as Complex reported, Richman bluntly said "I'm not a hip hop artist" in a post on X (formerly Twitter), which he soon deleted. The comment effectively ruffled some feathers online. But could it all just be a case of semantics?

In follow-up posts the same day, Richman said, "I meant to say I'm not SOLEY a hip hop artist," and, "I'll say again, Im thankful for everything. I'm saying I don't wanna be boxed in. I grew up on hip hop. But I'm a singer."

Everything considered, this has caused some consternation among some connected to the hip-hop music community. When Richman's initial disavowal first hit, DJ Hed, the host of the nationally syndicated radio show Effective Immediately, said he would remove Richman's songs from his radio mix and called on other hip-hop DJs to do follow suit.

"Fasho. So every Hip-Hop station playing MDB or DIAL should stop today. Thanks for the Heds Up," the DJ put out on X. "Glad I got the PSA before I did my radio mix," he added. "I now have 2 open slots. What should I play? (From an artist proud to be Hip-Hop)."

The situation underscores an ongoing debate about genre classifications and the fluidity of modern music. Richman's struggle to clarify his artistic identity is one shared by many musicians who begin navigating the pressure of commercial expectations after experiencing success.

Further, the Grammy submission could raise questions about the authenticity and motivations behind the award categories. Do you think "Million Dollar Baby" is a rap song? Should it compete for hip-hop Grammy Awards?

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Music