Tommy Richman’s ‘Actin Up’ Video Keeps Hip-Hop Love Alive

DMV crooner Tommy Richman may have recently insisted that he’s not JUST hip-hop, sparking the ire of some fans, but that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to find inspiration in the tropes of the genre or the regional classics of the past.

His new single, “Actin Up,” takes a similar tack to pivotal Southern ringtone rap songs like Soulja Boy’s “Crank That” and Cadillac Don & J-Money’s 2006 hit “Peanut Butter & Jelly,” borrowing the plinky synth sounds and heavy bass kicks that soundtracked the XXXL tall white tee era. Richman’s due to launch his first-ever headlining tour later this month (for his debut album, Coyote) so “Actin Up” will get its first road test in short order.

Meanwhile, the video, which he released a few hours later, sees Richman posted up outside a gas station with the homies, who dance to the new record during an impromptu late-night get-together. Other familiar-seeming locales tapped throughout the video include the side wall of the club and the patio of the local greasy spoon diner, hitting a trifecta of Dirty South rap favorite video shoot locations.

Richman may have fallen into the same trap that his fellow white boy hip-hop-adjacent performers like Justin Bieber and Post Malone have also fallen into, but if he keeps making bangers along this line (and manages to craft his future social media missives more carefully), then like them, he’ll probably be alright.

Watch Tommy Richman’s “Actin Up” video above.