While the music world has been distracted by Taylor Swift’s new album and the beef between rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake, two artists from Woodbridge, Virginia have quietly climbed to the top of the Billboard charts. Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy”), have amassed over one hundred million streams each on Spotify since their release dates in April. “Million Dollar Baby” is currently second on the Billboard Hot 100, after Taylor Swift and Post Malone’s “Fortnite”. It also topped Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart and is the third most popular song on Apple Music. Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsey”) has reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country chart, and their Digital Song Sales chart. The song also climbed to third on the Billboard Hot 100, just below “Million Dollar Baby” and fifth on Apple Music (since this article was written the song has dropped two places on the Hot 100 Chart.)
Tommy Richman, who crooned “VA next, I’m at they neck”, rose to prominence last year after catching the attention of Maryland R&B artist Brent Faiyaz with his unique hybrid singing rap style and memorable hooks. Faiyaz announced that Richman was the first artist signed to his imprint ISO Supremacy, a joint venture with distributor UnitedMasters and Concord Music subsidiary Pulse Records. Richman appeared on Faiyaz’s 2023 album Larger Than Life. Before the release of “Million Dollar Baby”, the song became popular on TikTok after Richman posted multiple snippets. Maryland natives and long-time DMV Rap producers Mannyvelli and Sparkheem are two of the co-producers on the song.
Shaboozey, born Collins Obinna Chibueze, signed to Republic Records in 2014 (and later American Dogwood and EMPIRE). He rose to prominence after he was featured on two songs from Beyoncé’s most recent album, Cowboy Carter. Born to Nigerian parents and raised in Woodbridge, his artist name is a nod to a mispronunciation of his Igbo-language last name Chibueze. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” interpolates J-Kwon’s 2004 classic “Tipsey”. In an interview with Billboard earlier this month, his co-manager Jared Cotter explained that Shaboozey was able to capitalize off of the success of Cowboy Carter, pushing the release date for his single forward three weeks. When “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” surpassed Beyoncé’s song “Texas Hold ‘Em” at the top of the Country chart, it was the first time since 1958 that two Black artists have lead the chart back-to-back.
Woodbridge, an outer suburb of Washington D.C., has had notable artists and bands in the Rap, Metal and Punk scenes for decades, but never to this level of commercial success. Country music legend Emmylou Harris also attended high school in Woodbridge and heavy metal pioneers Pentagram are often misattributed as being from Woodbridge (they are from Alexandria).
Shaboozey’s third album, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going is due to be released May 31st. He will be headlining shows across the U.S and opening for TikTok sensation Jessie Murph on tour. Tommy Richman is scheduled to play Chicago’s Lollapalooza music festival in August.
