“Million Dollar Baby” by Tommy Richman Explained

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Breaking down all the major moments of Richman’s triumphant bop
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He ain’t never rep a set, baby, he ain’t do no wrong. Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” is TikTok’s (and Barack Obama’s) turn-up song of the moment, with its smooth beats, catchy and meaningful lyrics, and totally infectious melody—but what’s it about? In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into Richman’s breakout hit, including an analysis of the song’s lyrics, music video, origins, and more.

“Million Dollar Baby” Meaning at a Glance

Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” is about following your passion with confidence and dedication while staying true to who you are, living with integrity, and remembering your roots. It’s also about the value of loyalty and love in relationships.

Section 1 of 5:

“Million Dollar Baby” Song Meaning

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  1. The song celebrates the success Richman has earned through all his hard work and dedication to his craft—but it also serves as a reminder not to lose your head in your search for success and fame.
    • Lyrics like “I ain’t never rep a set, baby, / I ain’t do no wrong” really showcase Richman’s ambition, self-confidence, and pride. He knows his worth (and so do we!).
    • The phrase “rep a set” often refers to representing a gang, but Richman claims he’s not affiliated with anything like that—and the lyric that follows (“I ain’t do no wrong”) might further hint that he tries to follow the straight-and-narrow. These lyrics could be a critique of the glorification of gang life Richman sees among young men in his circles.
  2. Tommy Richman is a real one, y’all. And just as the song is about being true to yourself as you follow your dreams and chase success, it’s also about being true to the person you love and working to be as good of a person as you can for them.
    • Richman’s willingness to be the best version of himself for someone he loves is emphasized in lyrics like, “I could clean up good for you / Oh, I know right from wrong.”
    • Later in the song, Richman sings, “She a bad li’l mama, she a diva, / No matter what happens, he cannot come between us again,” suggesting their relationship may have once been on the rocks, but that he’s determined not to let anything break them apart again.
    • He also sings about “[taking] her to Queen’s Gambit,” a karaoke bar in his hometown of Woodbridge, VA, and “[showing] around my friends,” suggesting this girl is important to him: he’s inviting her to one of his favorite haunts and introducing her to his circle.
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  3. With lyrics like “You rep my city for so damn long / But you still don’t notice me, my sound next, / VA next,” “Million Dollar Baby” is Richman’s attempt to put Virginia on the map as a major player in the music industry—but it’s also a reminder to not take your roots for granted or forget where you came from.
    • Richman isn’t the only one looking to put the DMV (D.C., Maryland, and Virginia) area on the map: he was signed to fellow artist and DMV native Brent Faiyaz’s label ISO Supremacy in 2023 and has since joined Faiyaz on his F*ck the World, It's a Wasteland Tour and collaborated on Faiyaz’s track “Upset.”
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Section 2 of 5:

“Million Dollar Baby” Music Video

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  1. The music video was shot in Los Angeles and Paris and edited by Josh Ycay (aka Belvedere). It includes footage of Richman living the high life at clubs, awards shows, and in front of the Eiffel Tower, showcasing his personal journey to success.
  2. 2
    The music video also includes footage of Richman’s home state. Even as the video mostly features shots of Richman living the high life in Paris and L.A., it also includes a shot of the Queen’s Gambit, a karaoke bar in Richman’s home state of Virginia. The inclusion of this footage of home highlights the importance of remembering your roots even as you climb the ladder of success. [1]
    • The karaoke bar is also referenced in the song when Richman sings: “I know we’re better than friends, / I took her to Queen’s Gambit, / showed around to my friends.”
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Section 3 of 5:

“Million Dollar Baby” Reception

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  1. When we say it took off, we mean took off . The then-still relatively unknown Richman began teasing snippets of the song on TikTok in spring 2024 before its release, and these teases garnered lots of attention on the app—to the point that when the song was officially released on April 26, it was an immediate hit, gaining 4.6 million on-demand U.S. streams that day alone. [2]
    • “Million Dollar Baby” was released through ISO Supremacy and Pulse Records. The song was written by Tommy Richman, with production credits from Jonah Roy, Max Vossberg, Mannyvelli, Sparkheem, and Kavi. It was later redistributed by Concord and Universal Music Group.
    • A rougher cut version of the song was teased in TikTok videos and received so much love that Richman released that version as well, known as "Million Dollar Baby (VHS)." [3]
    • "Million Dollar Baby" was such a massive hit on TikTok, it was used in countless TikTok trends, including dance challenges and prom transition videos. [4]
  2. A big enough accomplishment on its own, but it did this a week after Taylor Swift’s Tortured Poets Department was released— and in the midst of Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s rap feud , which was dominating YouTube at the time. That’s power, baby. [5]
    • After also reaching #1 on the Billboard Top 50, the song occupied that top slot for 10 weeks in a row, starting in May 2024. The song also topped the charts in other countries, including Australia, Latvia, and New Zealand.
    • Barack Obama even included the song on his yearly summer playlist in 2024, alongside other hits of the year like Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “365” by brat summer icon Charli XCX. [6]
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Section 4 of 5:

What genre is “Million Dollar Baby”?

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  1. Tommy Richman takes pride in his refusal not to confine himself to specific genre labels, which makes his music both amazing…and somewhat difficult to categorize ! “Million Dollar Baby” is mostly considered R&B, but it borrows from a wide variety of genres, including funk, Southern trap, and psychedelic music.
    • While the song’s admittedly somewhat hard to categorize, it’s because of its confident fusion of various influences—in addition to the compelling lyrics, intoxicating melody, and Tommy Richman’s captivating falsetto—that “Million Dollar Baby” became the hit it is.
Section 5 of 5:

Related Songs

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  1. Check out these other hot Tommy Richman tunes. “Million Dollar Baby” may have been Richman’s breakout hit, but it’s not his only hit. If you can’t get enough of “Million Dollar Baby,” try some of these other Richman tunes:
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.washingtonian.com/2024/07/30/tommy-richmans-hit-song-million-dollar-baby-name-drops-a-virginia-karaoke-bar/
      2. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/tommy-richman-million-dollar-baby-trending-up-1235671152/
      3. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/tommy-richman-million-dollar-baby-video-1235725603/
      4. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/05/07/why-million-dollar-baby-debuted-high-on-music-charts-despite-rap-beefs-and-taylor-swifts-success/
      5. ↑ https://www.stereogum.com/2262610/dua-lipa-radical-optimism-review/columns/chained-to-the-rhythm/
      6. ↑ https://www.obama.org/stories/president-obamas-favorite-books-and-music-summer-2024/

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