Russ is confident rising Virginia artist Tommy Richman is more than just a one-hit wonder and recently laid out his opinion on why he believes his take.
Taking to Twitter (X) on Monday (June 17), Russ broke down why he believes the “Million Dollar Baby” architect will transcend his hallmark hit despite criticism circulating about his authenticity as an artist. In his initial remark—sparked by his reaction to the announcement of his upcoming debut album COYOTE—Russ cites Richman’s decisiveness as a factor that he feels is important to longevity for any artist with a viral hit on their hands.
“He’s moving with a sense of urgency and capitalizing on momentum unlike a lot of artists who catch 1 song and parade around for a year and then miss their moment,” Russ wrote. “Kudos to him and his team.”
He’s moving with a sense of urgency and capitalizing on momentum unlike a lot of artists who catch 1 song and parade around for a year and then miss their moment. Kudos to him and his team 🥂 https://t.co/z71P69ZSkI
— SANTIAGO (@russdiemon) June 17, 2024
Russ added in a follow-up tweet, “You can tell the artists who are prepared to blow up vs the ones who aren’t. Move like you know it’s gonna happen.”
You can tell the artists who are prepared to blow up vs the ones who aren’t. Move like you know it’s gonna happen.
— SANTIAGO (@russdiemon) June 17, 2024
Russ’s comments come after audio of Funkmaster Flex slamming “Million Dollar Baby” during a radio broadcast made its way to social media. In the clip, the 56-year-old New Yorker also blasted Richman’s fans.
“If you’re someone that likes this song, you are a clown,” Funkmaster Flex said. “I don’t know what the rest of his songs sound like. I don’t even know who Tommy Richman is. Sounds like a shoe store.
“Now we’re gonna document this hot garbage. We’re gonna play it now, I know you want to hear it. I wonder if this is big in the club. See this part is deceiving like it might be a good song.”
With or without the approval of either Russ or Funkmaster Flex, it’s clear Richman is making good use of the momentum he’s snowballed into since his hit single began taking over airwaves. Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart.
The track amassed more than 372 million Spotify streams. Richman’s latest release, “Devil Is A Lie,” has already racked up more than four million Spotify streams since its June 14 release and underscored his meteoric rise as his monthly listeners on the streaming platform currently topples more than 48 million users.
Check out Russ’s remarks above.