Tommy Richman Says He's Not A Hip Hop Artist, DJ Hed Calls Him Out

Tommy Richman posts that he's not a hip hop artist then walks it back after DJ Hed calls him out. All of this reminds me of a situation with Billy Ray Cyrus and Lil Nas X.
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Life Through The Lens of Hip Hop.
Justin Hunte's expansive resume covers banking, journalism, television, and music marketing. His career began in investment banking where he was a VP at Bank Of America Merrill Lynch. He then transitioned in music journalism where he became HipHopDX’s editor-in-chief, cultivating a video strategy that generated 500,000 KZbin subscribers while overseeing the day-to-day site that reached 2.5 million monthly readers. Justin also served as Director of Content & Strategic Marking at EMPIRE, and was also a producer on A&E's popular clip show, Court Cam.
Hunte's amassed over 87M views and 267,000 subscribers on his personal KZbin channel. His thought-provoking videos attract millions, prompting branding partnerships with Brisk Bodega, Simple Mobile, Honda, and Lexus. He also debated at the prestigious Oxford Union, arguing that William Shakespeare is more culturally relevant than Kanye West. Hunte currently consults for a number of premiere artists and brands in tech and entertainment. And in his spare time, he is an LA Mission Ambassador where he dedicates hours to helping the houseless community.
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[@_NoHandle_]

So, we should expect that _Million Dollar Baby_ *WILL NOT* be submitted for consideration in ANY of the hip-hop categories for the 2025 Grammys.

[@neobrainium1027]

million dollar vulture

[@miamiwax5504]

Why are we talking about hip hop it's an r&b song.

[@ShinobiCJ_]

@@miamiwax5504 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@iAquarius202]

@@miamiwax5504 Justin answered this exact question @6:40

[@neobrainium1027]

@@miamiwax5504 why is played by every hip hop station then?

[@afrobutterfly]

"Believe them the first time" is my ethos for MANY things.

[@rahbeeuh]

Same here. I don't have the bandwidth to keep learnin' the same lessons when I can just listen and/or learn the first time.

[@5324man1]

I say this shit ALL the time! You really for that

[@BeautifulEarthJa]

like what's the apology for? lol

[@desireeeeam]

“When someone tells you who they are, listen”

[@neobrainium1027]

unless it's post malone and tommy richman

[@dashuntas.m4045]

To quote my self, “hiphop and rap has been a Trojan horse with a rock/punk/country/pop artist ready to pop out”. Truth is Hiphop/Rap is nothing but a way to come up for these people, they have no respect for the culture and only see it as something to be exploited.

[@bonkknob3240]

you don't need to say you're not hip hop. just let people listen to the music, and if you're not making hip hop, they'll know what to categorize you as instead. no reason to announce "i'm not just a rapper," it's just going to cause controversy

[@BlueTheOracleEmpress]

I said the exact same thing.

[@Alisha1686]

I never saw him as a hip-hop artist. He's more pop to me with some black influence. Definitely not hip-hop though.

[@Blockchaindegenerate]

“I ain’t never rep a set????????????” It’s not just some black influence, the whole thing is black asf. The beat, the vibes everything.

[@NoirNameless]

Someone tried to say the Kendrick and Drake beef is the worst thing to happen to rap in a minute because of Stan’s or whatever. And I said no tf it wasn’t lol. I’d argue people like Post Malone and Tommy Richman coming in, making rap music, getting huge, then distancing themselves from it did much more damage to rap music than a beef ever will.

[@te4500]

Tommy richman ain’t a rapper tho

[@jfraz1992]

Good point

[@NoirNameless]

@@te4500Neither was Post Malone lol. Yet they both made or currently make music that’s “hip hop adjacent” and use things associated with “the culture” within their images, then pretend they weren’t the whole time. Post Malone really wants us to forget he came on the scene with braids, grills, Jordan’s, and jerseys gang lmao. 😂😂

[@durrellodom592]

Disagree. That ship has been sailed. Overhyping mid rappers like Wayne, Kanye, and Em influenced a generation of wack rappers was one of the worst things to happen to rap, which made it easy for Drake, a Canadian rapper, to run shit and make better rap music than everyone else.

[@NoirNameless]

@@durrellodom592You’re not wrong, but I was talking about things happening currently. I didn’t delve into the history of it, but you’re definitely not wrong.

[@VinnieDangerous]

I don’t care that “successful black men” are backing him. There are a lot of black folks that will hitch their wagon to a culture vulture for a quick buck. To come out and say you’re not hiphop after blowing up off us is wack & should NOT be tolerated.

[@jordanflores5687]

He explained himself respectfully and that shoulda been the end of it yall stop being so sensitive and thinking y'all own a genre of music

[@VinnieDangerous]

@@jordanflores5687 we do own it. This is our culture and guests should conduct themselves accordingly

[@killiun55]

@@jordanflores5687 First off, who’s ya’ll? And second who are you? If y’all is Black people, we definitely own these genres, including country (just because you steal something doesn’t make it yours). And if you aren’t black, you don’t get to tell us anything about our creations. And if you are black, you’re a misguided child and need to sit down or go educate yourself.

[@killiun55]

@@VinnieDangeroustalk to em.

[@pfroggy23]

@VinnieDangerous the first thing I thought about was the "white avatar" episode of Atlanta. Like we know what they're doing. Doesn't make it any less culturally bankrupted

[@pfroggy23]

He's definitely R&B which is still a black-centric genre. Whether he likes it or not, he's navigating through black culture

[@BeautifulEarthJa]

he likes it money-wise

[@Mr.Brewster]

That part. . . Which by defavlt is definitely Hip-Hop ✊🏿💪🏿🙅🏿‍♂️🇺🇸💯

[@BlueTheOracleEmpress]

Facts❤

[@PureFact]

What does RnB being a black-centric genre have anything to do with the fact that he said he's not a Hip Hop artist? Since when did RnB become Hip Hop? I love Justin's content, but when did Tommy Richman say he's Hip Hop? Yall are blowing this up way out of proportion. First world American problems most definitely

[@pfroggy23]

@PureFact Jesus brother. Saying "I'm not rapper" is his attempt to separate himself from the black element/culture. Most transition to either Pop or Country so they don't have to collab with the black artists who gave them co signs. Well documented. Kid Rock, Vanilla Ice, Post Malone. It's all just entertainment talk. You doing First World internet arguing

[@BlueTheOracleEmpress]

"Everbody wanna be a ninja...But don't nobody want to BE a ninja." Imma sit that here.

[@SladeW5218]

🎯‼️

[@izdirty9117]

Paul Mooney 🫡🤴🏾💎💎💎💎💎💎

[@BlueTheOracleEmpress]

@@izdirty9117 Yep

[@biggcebo]

Accept it, the problem is everybody wants to label anything HipHop. He could see himself a R&B artist or Pop artist. The thing about HipHop is it doesn't have to be a HipHop song to be embraced by the HipHop community. Also he isn't Rapping on Million Dollar Baby.

[@joshtondurrah8048]

The problem is Black people's infuriation for non-African people imitating Blackness.

[@ProjectLOOP_]

"I don't want to be boxed in..." "I am a singer." Not, "I am ALSO a singer." he is a singer. Full stop. Guess he likes that box better, haha.

[@tylerhackner9731]

They always move away from black music styles after they feel it doesn’t benefit them

[@beyonddarktales]

Reddit and internet need cancel Tommy Richman using low rider culture and hip hop sample funk and shit

[@ericberry7352]

Mark Wahlberg and Kid Rock are still the most egregious cases by far.

[@SladeW5218]

📠

[@onna-lisakyom]

I still can't believe he got away with " I ain't never rep a set, baby".

[@thoomolong]

Right. Nobody asked him if he ripped a set.

[@ashantinyongo7632]

That line is pretty sus 😂

[@jacksp8de]

Billie Eilish did it the most slick. She dressed like a late 90s hip hop rapper at first. TBF it may have been the label since she was a kid.

[@bonkknob3240]

now shes got grills in sometimes lol. but i havent heard her dissing anything

[@jacksp8de]

@@bonkknob3240 Didnt even know that lol "Everybody wanna be a ninja until its time to be a ninja" lol

[@AShiftingofFate]

@@bonkknob3240 Her label won't let her go hiphop, its why she's not credited on her Denzel Curry/ JID song. I do wonder what she would do if she didn't have that holding her back.

[@El_Bukis]

I do remember Billie saying the baggy clothes was because she was a minor when she debuted, and she didn't want people sexualizing her body as a minor. Which she ended being proven right about because as soon as she started wearing more fitted clothes people (men mostly) started sexualizing her.

[@jacksp8de]

@@El_Bukis That makes sense. But still the aesthetic was specifically 90s Hip Hop. It was deliberate choice. Not really her fault though. I seen this KZbin video claiming she was a plant and it said the son of some record exec is a fan of 90s hip hop and used that as branding but it was a smart move. Just not crediting people like tlc and Aliyah bothers me

[@jroameverywhere]

He is not a rapper. Ok, but he is damn sure influenced and benefiting from Hip-Hop. Countless singers aren't rappers but are definitely Hip-Hop.

[@TheCompanyMan]

Did Justin Timberlake come out unprompted declaring he wasn't hip hop?

[@kaciehawkins4210]

@@TheCompanyManTHIS

[@sat1241]

@@TheCompanyMan To me Mary J Blige is not a Hip Hop artist. She's an R & B singer who often collaborated with rappers. but was part of Hip Hop culture in the 90s. Yeah, Tommy Richman made a big mistake by coming out unprompted saying he's not anything, fill in the blank, if you come out of nowhere saying you are not something, the people who are that are going to feel dissed. I wouldn't call Million Dollar Baby a hip hop song. However he has a couple of raps on his youtube. His very first song from 2016 Ballin' Stalin is one, style is East Coast 90s jazzy backpack rap. I didn't check them all but he has another one after he switched his style to West Coast fake Lazie Bone called "Lost Souls" and it's not that old , January 2022. This new album Coyotte has a rap track on it, the features doing the rap, Trevor Spitta, and Zachary Moon. This album is trash. Yeah that one song Million Dollar Baby is catchy but there is that inauthentic tinge to it, this falsetto gets old real quick and the mix on some of this stuff sounds like demo, this Lo fi mix approach is not working. "I'm Not a Hip Hop artist" what a colossal mistake. He's done

[@wedabestradi096]

He dont even really seem hip hop definitely black culture influences but way more of pop then hip hop

[@danieliroh]

That's the point, he embraced black music styles and a genre widely associated with black people accepted him with open arms which shot him up in fame. And now that he's a known entity, he voluntarily tries to distance himself from any connotations of the blackness that led to his rise. It's not that hard to understand.

[@danielortega7112]

Never once thought Million Dollar Baby was a hip hop song. Just thought it was a pop song with drums 🤷🏾 today I learned

[@tim.noonan]

About 98% of pop songs have drums lol

[@danielortega7112]

@@tim.noonan definitely way lower than 98%. So many songs where it's just a guitar or a piano and barely anything else. They're there on the others but it just always seems like an afterthought

[@bonkknob3240]

@@tim.noonan i think he meant hip hop drums. although a lot of pop songs use those too (7 rings by ariana grande, even some of the pop country hits)

[@tim.noonan]

@@danielortega7112 Your definition of either ‘pop song’ or ‘drums’ is way too narrow

[@Kalitayy]

It’s literally a Tiktok nothing burger, calling it R&B or even Pop would be an insult to both genres. Less than worthless. Plus the artist uses Hip-Hop as a costume. Irredeemable.

[@AnferneeMyers]

I was so upset about Tommy Richman saying this, because I'd hoped he wouldn't be in a situation like this. I am a hip-hop artist. In every streaming app's radio/continuous play function, Tommy Richman's music has been woven into that playlist because he's viewed as a related artist, with music in a related genre. It really does feel like when white artist do this, they are making a clear disassociation with the culture. A saxophone player wouldn't renounce being a saxophone player just because they learned to play the drums.Trying not to be boxed in doesn't mean the thing you feel like you're being boxed into should be disrespected or separated from.

[@coldwarmaster]

He's a novelty act. His brand of R&B is outdated as of the Eighties. No black artist is coming out with that sound and getting any kind of motion in this era. Hip Hop audience is carrying him cause he's a throwback.

[@keianavernon7103]

That’s why Shaboozy song didn’t go number 1 until Dolly Parton openly supported him by saying he was her Godson. After that the Country community started supporting the song. 💯

[@saben47]

Its crazy how some artists are considered writers and able to convey a song or message, but can't articulate words in a way that at least will make you sound intelligent or appreciative ??? Like you said it's not hard to be appreciative of a genre that accepts you, but he said what he said 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@chreed5837]

He's not a rapper but used the same aesthetic as Post Malone when he came with white Iverson. Tomy Richman, though talented just drank his own kool aid being signed by Brent Faiyaz (who was originally a rapper found his space in this vibey R&b), still needs to understand that he stepped into a culture using its beats, drum patterns and aesthetics to reach this stardom.

[@sobeso]

I think you should do a video about how hip-hop isn't just rapping it be very informative especially since people keep only talking about the negatives

[@beyonddarktales]

I am glad Dj Hed Call out these clowns out, if you really look at it, look a Aftermath records and pg lang pop up concert. These type of people they want to destroy.

[@mattnuevo22]

It’s like clockwork, they always move away from black music after it puts them on lol

[@jcutler1295]

Did his music sound like rap to you? It clearly was Rnb if you think his music is Rap than you dont know shit about rao

[@cantu7214]

@@jcutler1295 his entire aesthetic is influenced by hip hop. from his clothes, to his videos, to his chains.

[@Bdonlee15]

@@cantu7214yup from the clothes to the slang to the old schools with the hydraulics 😂 Also as Justin makes a good point at 6:40. a lot of southern artists like Big Moe has songs are almost entirely sung and melodic but still can be hip hop

[@luke_cohen1]

@@cantu7214 He made a certain type of song that required a certain dress code to pull off when it came to the music video for a surprise hit single. That doesn’t mean he ever considered himself a hip hop artist though. Calling Tommy Richman a hip hop artist is like saying NFL Quarterback Kirk Cousins is a part of hip hop because he like to celebrate winning by wearing flashy chains. We all know Kirk Cousins is a hip hop guy even though he owns a couple of nice Cuban Links since there’s more to this subculture than that.

[@jordanflores5687]

Stop this is such a non issue he explained himself soon as he did that shoulda been the end of it hed shoulda kept quiet and stop feeling like captain save a genre

[@CastroJr92]

I consider him R&B so I don't have that big of an issue with it as long as he's not dissing Hip Hop. Million Dollar Baby is a great song but it weirds me out how well some non black artists are able to completely mimic the black sound. On his song Devil Is A Lie he also has a lyric about someone being in the Sunken Place and I'm like...🧐

[@heavensreject]

Yeah, that sunken place line made me wonder where the real writer and reference tracks are. 🤨

[@Bdonlee15]

Oh hell nah the sunken place? 😂😂 the caucasity

[@CastroJr92]

@heavensreject my thoughts exactly I was like who wrote this and thought yeah this is perfect for Tommy Richman, this line doesn't need to be removed lol

[@heavensreject]

@@CastroJr92 😂😂😂 the song title already made me side eye. 🤨 Someone trying to send us an SOS from inside that camp lol.

[@TheBulletzgottishow20]

He isn’t a rapper he is a singer I don’t understand why people think he was hip hop salute justin

[@beyonddarktales]

Yeah but use hip hop culture like G funk culture

[@MrEOM41]

He’s using the song songs flow alot of rappers have used (ie Nelly) and his aesthetic is hip hop 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@Yeen666]

6:41

[@beyonddarktales]

@@MrEOM41 forreal espically how you dress and people that promote it like brent F,

[@baku270]

MDB was definitely played on the hip hop radio station in my area

[@Kalitayy]

1. Use hip-hop aesthetics 2. Say "i'm not a hip-hop artist" 3. Release middling “hip-hop, but bastardized” album(s) 4. ??? 5. Profit Optional: if you get called out, say "I've always been a rockstar" or "i'm not a rapper, i'm an artist"

[@100billpremium]

The BEAT of a song determines what genre the song will be categorized as, not the artist. The beat, NOT the artist.

[@dfynd]

always a fan of the insight you bring to a story and the comparisons you make

[@TheCompanyMan]

Thank you!

[@esspeearr-g6n]

To me the first unfiltered thing Tommy Richman posts says a lot more than he wanted it to, and his follow-ups just confirm it. The fact he felt the need to blurt out something like that on a social media platform as if there were a stench to being a Hip Hop artist or as if being a Hip Hop artist impedes creativity speaks volumes. I'll translate every follow-up after the initial post for those not fluent in BS. Translation: "I really like money, and I don't want to lose the Hip Hop demographics. I would have voted for Obama twice if I were old enough... seriously... I really would have."

[@DJHubcap]

"'Oh, uh uh! Oh, wait a minute - wait a minute! Just because I'm dressed this way does NOT make me a whore!' Which is true. Gentlemen, that is true: just because they dress a certain way doesn't mean they are a certain way, don't ever forget it. But ladies, you must understand that that is fuckin' confusin'." -Dave Chappelle

[@mariogooch9634]

Don't hide ya hand now, we saw u throw it already.

[@royyamashitaii6674]

misconstrued to a people that probably embraced you. Thats a great line by DJ Hed

[@theaccountant5846]

9 second applause!!!

[@marlosbluntt4227]

As much as I wanted to like this comment, I knew it was meant to be understood without action. #keepitat9

[@NKim-gj9vk]

I never thought of him as a hip hop artist although I see a clear influence. My mind put him in the same category as Flo-rida. Clearly there’s a hip hop element but the end product is different enough (and has heavy influence from other genres) that I’m not really thinking just hip hop. I think if Flo-rida said this same thing, people would just keep scrolling.

[@ayoonine]

He conveniently said this right before grammy considerations/first round voting I wonder if that is the reason why he said it. He would clean up in that category, but we know why

[@nubiwiththebull]

I agree he’s not. Just another vulture of the culture

[@SoundMind.]

How? Y’all throw them terms around he never claimed to be a hip hop artist nor is his song a hip hop song LMAO

[@Desperry]

@@SoundMind.the genre on the song says “Hip-Hop/Rap” wym lol

[@SoundMind.]

@@Desperry Just because it’s “labeled” hip hop doesn’t mean it actually is million dollar baby is not a hip hop song

[@cyberjazz]

I did not have The Company Man singing lyrics from "Achy Breaky Heart" on my 2024 bingo card... but I'm here for it. Keep up the great work Justin!

[@NaajiRahmbah]

Unprovoked, this was telling. He tried to say he meant “I’m not just a hiphop artist” but better still it is what it is.

[@PradyumnVij]

DJ Hed is really respectful and mature for how inflammatory some comments are

[@aizenzae4510]

I see him as an R&B artist than a hip-hop artist

[@CastroJr92]

Same here. Like it's adjacent but definitely different. But yeah I'm still conflicted about his place in the R and B space.

[@BBPllc2014]

Nah, pop artist or something, I see nothing rhythm and blues about his music

[@heavensreject]

He lacks the Rhythm and Blues to even qualify 🤣🤣🤣

[@queenofbuttercream]

My man said yall ain't fixing to Post Malone me😂

[@WaxPanels]

So disappointed as someone from Richmond, VA. We finally had some one new breakout and they do this 😢

[@JJ1NE]

Teachable moment for sure. But I'm not mad at him for not wanting to be boxed in though. This kinda reminds me of Tyler The Creator getting upset with the grammy's for putting Igor in the hip hop category.

[@saewutséhuh]

I’mma keep this short and simple…dude said he ain’t black, please don’t consider me amongst these others.

[@ThatCanadianDudeEh]

This is why Black Americans needs to take back ownship of Hip-Hop, Rap, R&B, Country & Rock n Roll. So stuff like this stops happening!

[@Kalitayy]

EDM too. I learned about the Black and Queer history of House music from an underrated KZbin named Lucretia McEvil and it was fascinating, you should check her video out. Sadly, the genre is now filled with colonizers and people who don’t care about music and the culture.

[@Kalitayy]

Don’t forget about Metal, Punk, Soul, and Folk too. Heck even something like Prog Rock, Synthpop, Ambient, Dubstep and K-Pop were in some way started by Black Americans.

[@Malthiest]

@@Kalitayyrock was started by black blues artists. It is the root of almost all music.

[@luke_cohen1]

Country may be influenced by Black Americans but its not music invented by Black people though. What instead happened was that rural whites learned how to play their instruments from Black musicians and then applied those techniques to Scotch-Irish and English Folk songs (a genre now known as "Old Timey"). Most mainstream American music doesn’t belong to any one single outside of specific ones like hip hop since the public is largely colorblind and historically more focused on whether or not the songs contain and positive messages for suburban kids. Hell, Top 40 Pop Radio is mostly centered on suburban white moms and their underage daughters. We’re all going to influence each other at some point so I think it’s high time to get rid of a lot of these barriers and focus on lumping more than splitting.

[@ThatCanadianDudeEh]

@@luke_cohen1 It was invented by Black Americans, not influenced.

[@CandiestoftheLands]

It’s all happening!

[@twelvin]

But ... I never would have put him in the HipHop category. That being said as long as we don't gatekeep en stop being so damn welcoming 'they' will always use Black culture as a stepping stone to then throw it aside and frown upon, up to "greater" things. And y'all need to stop with that "He IS inViTed TO thE COokOUT" bs too.

[@AdoseofAlana_]

I'm late but I learned about you from Curtis king and I've been liking your commentary so I've subscribed! 👌🏾

[@TraderdaLegend]

I don't disagree with Tommy Richmond. That song doesn't sound hiphop to me sounds very pop

[@BlueTheOracleEmpress]

When they are not like us, they move differently. Say things differently. Think and hear things....differently.

[@TshoCa]

Thank you for this real lesson that can extrapolated in many aspects of life. Respect and be considerate to all those who support you

[@tybooskie]

HipHop has long used samples from genres of music all over the word. So it's not like hip hop artist have ever been in a box. Hiphop is the least restricve genre of music. Guy just told on himself. Good for him.

[@tokenninjasp]

The disrespect is a function, not a failing, of a institution.

[@lydiaapolot5460]

He has appropriated the Hip hop esthetic, this is where we need to gate keep, don't platform anymore of his music on any hip hop platform,let him go battle it out with the juggernaut that is Taylor swift,see how he survives.

[@andrewnienke7617]

J, as a white guy, can I respectfully ask you a question? How do artist ride the line of being guest in the house but at the same time not stake a claim to a hip hop? Are there main stream artists who have done it successfully. Not hip hop heads but pop artists? Because the culture does have a large influence on pop culture.

[@Cbb3225]

As a fellow white dude, I’d say you gotta put in the work to make sure you understand the culture you’re going into, and if you don’t want to carelessly appropriate, that you’re being respectful to that space and the people in it. If that sounds like a lot of work to the artist, then they are probably more concerned with money and don’t care about the music or its culture beyond how they can benefit from it. I’m not deep enough in pop to answer your second question; but releasing an unprovoked statement after you collab or make a genre-influenced song to clarify that you don’t identify with that group of people is not a good sign lol. It’s kinda like saying, again unprompted, “yeah I fucked with them, but I don’t fuck with them anymore”

[@maxsmart9116]

I don't think he's in the same category as Post Malone (yet) but as a deejay, if you play a non-rap song in a hip hop way (scratch it in, rock doubles, mix it in with hip hop) it becomes hip hop imo.

[@Yourfavoritelogician]

Whenever you’re doing something that is immoral or what you know is wrong, the conscious still wants to correct itself. Sometimes it results in self sabotage. This feels just like that. Maybe he knew he didn’t deserve our support.

[@RT22444]

The way this topic has gone has been so frustrating to me. He made songs that sounded hip hop or hip hop adjacent. He doesn't want to get boxed into that genre or claim it, so he says that, and all of a sudden folks are saying he's using hip hop, he claimed it and reaped the benefits and now wants to move on, comparing him to Post, Miley Cyrus, etc. Its just not that deep. And inaccurate. I wouldn't want to be boxed into one genre either, especially since when you are, you CANNOT make anything else for THIS REASON EXACTLY. What happened to critical thinking...😵‍💫 No wonder Kendrick is depressed lol

[@hurricanev6]

My first thought when I saw that was "my guy, who asked?" Why would he feel compelled to say that, regardless of context? So strange.

[@randomcharacter6501]

I mean he's not. His song sonically has more in common with pop, funk, or edm than hiphop. The plot twist is, 70% of everything else that gets called hiphop isn't either.

[@Malthiest]

Million Dollar Baby is one of the most overrated songs in music history. When the song started getting used for advertisements it put into perspective how generic that song has always been.

[@jesstiss222]

Respectfully, some of Us need to stfu and let ppl keep telling on themselves instead of getting PR lessons that cover up their truths ijs

[@bruceleeds7988]

Billy Ray Cyrus knows how it feels to get X'ed out (no pun intended) the Country music "Community". Achy Breaky Heart was a crossover hit, but he almost lost his cult fanbase with it because he made a "Pop Record".

[@TheCompanyMan]

Oh that's great color for the conversation. I didn't realize that. That makes so much sense. I gained a lot of respect for him when he did that.

[@lxLazyKingxl]

Million Dollar Baby def has a black artist sound. More funk/R&B than hip-hop imo. And that funk sound does well in a hip-hop space due to the groove and dance ability to the record. The label of hip-hop never felt accurate for Tommy more so it was forces on him as hip-hop is the dominate black music genre at this point. While there are singers in hip-hop , Nate Dogg for ex, Nate sang about that gangsta life that many black ppl come from/recognize. To my knowledge Tommy has 1 song that happens to pull from black artists sound, not really enough to qualify him as someone who makes hip-hop music.

[@papadrow5302]

The only one who haven't switched up is Eminem

[@Popisdopee]

Tommy’s whole aesthetic is hiphop from the wardrobe to the strippers in the music video. Everyone wanna act black until it’s time to be black

[@SoundMind.]

So having strippers in a music video equates to being black? Jesus christ! 😂

[@ShenaVerrett]

Nate Dog was a singer..and pure Hip-Hop!

[@jay3414]

Tiktok & Hip-hop made Million Dollar Baby

[@GOODMuzikBoi]

And this is another reason why I respect dudes like Eminem, Mac Miller, even a Paul Wall. Never heard these dudes disrespecting hip hop. They always embrace it. They never ran from hip hop to another genre. I’m sick of dudes like Tommy, Post Malone, MGK and Miley Cyrus making money in rap then leaving.

[@TreFKennedy]

Dope vid Justin

[@ashdapoet8766]

He pulled a Post Malone 😂😂😂😂

[@Yahpah]

This is so wholesome! This is a channel I can actually have on in the background playing with my husband and kids.. no bad language or bad vibes! 9 sec applause!

[@mrs.spicer]

Why he had to tell any one that? Nothing about his songs say hip hop or rap… he’s not rapping… he’s singing. We’ve really lost the plot , I fear.

[@Heroasaurus]

Lots of people interact in and out of musical sounds. If he were to disrespect hip hop music I would have a problem BUT to say a genre of music doesn’t define you is a fine opinion to have. It’s an overreaction.

[@R-Boxing1108]

He ain’t even R&B he is Pop/Alternative

[@Alx1116]

Yeah you’re a bot

[@TrillFiger713]

Tommy never made Hip Hop so I don’t have problem with what he said cuz why did any of yall think he was. His style has been more Pop/R&B than anything before Million Dollar Baby and still now on his new album Coyote. Us in Hip Hop gotta stop automatically including “Others” in our culture just cuz we like their music and they got our swag. His music is 🔥 but yall reaching calling him a Vulture. I trust Brent Faiyaz vision for him 💯

[@beyonddarktales]

Brent Faiyaz dont give about him, he rather support foreign asians brand that wear brands like thug club, you gotta understand their indusrty their alot circles, I am glad that Dj Hed call these poeple out, Hed is part aftermath records/death row record group with Em, 50, Snoop. When they see people like this. Their groups will be 1st to talk shit.

[@TrillFiger713]

@@beyonddarktales Uhh okay… You know Brent signed him right? Don’t seem like you actually know what’s going on. I like DJ Hed but that whole back and forth was a waste of energy cuz Tommy never was, is or will be Hip Hop. He’s just a Pop artist signed by a black artist (Brent Faiyaz) that makes good Pop music that us in Hip Hop coincidentally like. Which shouldn’t automatically get him the Hip Hop title associated with him. That’s all I was saying

[@TrillFiger713]

@@beyonddarktalesbut if I misunderstood your reply my apologies lol

[@beyonddarktales]

@@TrillFiger713 Bro, I am keep real bro, those are hipsters bro, Dj Hed Is a perfect Gatekeepers, because of Tommy Gunn and Post Malone out their, they will destroy our culture. They got be more people Like Eminem or Alchemist those are perfect represtation of Hip Hop.

[@beyonddarktales]

@@TrillFiger713 I don't give a fuck about Brent Faiyaz, he got famous off dude that diss a dead rapper. Mac Miller is another perfect artist to reprsent Hip Hop as well lmao

[@ezanderson8834]

What to have hip hop numbers but don't want to have hip hop problems that's what Kendrick trying to tell yall

[@anthonyharrell4547]

I actually ain't mad at em for keeping it 100

[@UuhhDuuhh]

Never liked that ONE song anyway

[@lxvstudios5609]

Smh. I fw Tommy because we from the same city but he didn’t have to throw hip hop under the bus like that. Shout out to Billy Ray though. Idk about that sign he made.

[@ITNoetic]

Billy Ray Cyrus is a great example. Richman fumbled a huge bag, regardless of his clarifications. To many, it will come across as insincere damage control, because honestly, Twitter has had a pre-clarification meta to stop reply guys for years now. He had plenty of characters left, too, no excuse

[@shivajones108]

To be fair, I never liked the "hip hop singer" label. Mainstream news outlets commonly used that to refer to artists like MJB and R.Kelly, who were R&B at a time where the two genres complemented each other so much that outsiders threw it all in the same box instead of taking the time to learn the difference between them.

[@most-hated-inc]

If "Old Town Road" is a country song, so is "Rappin" Duke" by Shawn Brown, or "Hay" by Crucial Conflict. C'mon...

[@SoundMind.]

Hay is a rap song lol

[@MiracleChips]

Justin got us eating so good that one upload in the day feels like starvation.

[@adammarsh956]

He's RNB I actually think it was really respectful for him to draw that line because of people mislabelling RNB singers as 'Rappers'. Post Malone is the biggest example of this he's an RNB singers yet people call him a rapper and I aint ever heard him smash a 5 fingers of death, barring up. If you can't rap, you shouldn't be mislabelled as a 'rapper' imo

[@bellaminded]

My personal opinion: Why do we feel the need to be included in their spaces? And why are we so accepting of them in ours? STOP INVITING THEM TO THE COOKOUT. START GATEKEEPING AND CREATE SPACES FOR US THAT SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER. We're so focused on crossing over. Why can't we enjoy and be grateful with the success we get within our community? Peace & Blessings

[@dftv709]

Hey Justin, do you count from 1 -9 in your head when you do the 9 sec 👏👏.

[@yokinawa6421]

Can't lie, that shirt is hard af. Where'd you get it?

[@KCAssassin98]

Seems overzealous and definitely reactionary. Bro didn't say anything to disrespect hip hop all he was trying to say was that he isn't a rapper. Also though hip hop artists technically put him on, claiming hip hop as a community embraced him and is the reason for his success is a reach. that song was played by everybody and most probably don't even consider it Hip hop.

[@Cardel34]

Its a song appreciated by those who may also like hip hop and r&b. That doesnt mean its a hip hop song. I never considered it a hip hop song but its a dope song. I thought of more as pop.......maaayyyybe r&b. Also, I kinda feel him, why be pigeon holed into a certain genre and then being held to the standards of said genre?

[@dfrnt_hues]

I wonder what Brent Fiyaz thinks. That’s who put him on 👀

[@Righteous1neX]

I knew when Post Malone came out and said that bullshit about “if you wanna cry and FEEL something, don’t listen to rap”, I knew right then who and what he was, a chameleon!! He came out rocking cornrows and gold teeth, now he’s a full blown country singer!! Eminem is quite literally the ONLY white rapper who not only didn’t switch up but truly respects the culture! Tommy Richman meant what he said, if I was a DJ his music getting pulled as soon as I seen the tweet!

[@jcutler1295]

Everybody so sensitive these days jesus christ just listen to the music

[@andinetrbruce1213]

Jesus Christ just stay out of our culture and stick to folk music if you can't show respect.

[@loveandhappiness8178]

My grandson won 3rd place at a talent show singing Million dollar baby

[@finalbreath15]

I like some of his tracks, and they seem more like homages to the culture and a feeling he is inspiredby. If tommy richman outright disrespected hiphop i'd be bummed out. I just hope people of the culture can give outsiders some leniency when showing love to music they grew up on, regardless of skin color. Tommy seems like he just really digs aspects of soul, hiphop and funk sounds. I think folks have these scopes drawn looking for vultures and now there's extreme scrutiny at any approach to hiphop. Idk as a fan of mac miller and seeing how much impact he had on the culture, i am grateful that people from all places and backgrounds can make their impact. Its really all just down to being real. Folks might side-eye, until they know you have good intentions and thats very fair. You also cant take take genre-definitions too seriously. Music was meant to build on other music and is mostly always done in a way of endearment. Lately artists constantly feel cornered and many arent equipped for that. Speaking on mac, i wish i could hear his perspective on the hiphop discussion today, he was an important player in the dynamic of outsiders in hiphop.

[@Khiarika1]

Billy Ray Cyrus really didn’t add anything to the actual song. It absolutely didn’t sound better it was pure politics. Shoutout to Billy for being such a champion for fairness tho.