| Love & Hip Hop | |
|---|---|
| Format | Reality |
| Starring |
Current Chrissy Lampkin Olivia Longott Somaya Reece Emily Bustamante Kimbella Vanderhee (season 2 - ) Yandy Smith (season 2 - ) Recurring Mashonda Tifrere (season 1 ) Teairra Mari (season 2 - ) Erica Mena (mid season 2 - ) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 20 (by end of second season) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | VH1 |
| Original run | March 14, 2011 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Basketball Wives |
| Followed by | Mob Wives |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Love & Hip Hop is a reality television series that premiered on the VH1 cable television network on March 14, 2011. It was created by Jim Ackerman and executive produced by Mona Scott, Toby Barraud, Stefan Springman and Kenny Hull.
The show's second season premiered on November 14, 2011 with two new additions to the cast: Kimbella Vanderhee, mother of Juelz Santana's son, and Yandy Smith, Jim Jones' manager.
The season 2 premiere came in with the highest ratings in 2 years in VH1 history with 2.566 million viewers for a premiere episode.
There is talk of possibly doing a spin off of the series called Love & Hip Hop: Miami, but no confirmation whether or not it is going to happen. If it does, rap superstar Trina is in the talks about signing on as one of the cast members.[1] Rumors of an Atlanta version have also hit the web.
Contents |
Christine "Chrissy" Lampkin was born in Harlem to African American and Cuban parents. Separated from her parents and raised by her grandmother, she developed a keen sense of self preservation and used her bright young mind to learn the ins and outs of street life. Her outgoing personality and quick wit led to a notoriety that eventually caught the eye of fellow Harlemite, rapper Jim Jones. Their romance blossomed quickly and soon they were inseparable. Naturally, Chrissy's keen fashion sense influenced Jim's style of dress. Realizing she had a talent for styling, she committed to styling Jim and continues to be a positive influence in his professional life. Her pet project, redesigning Jim's recording studio, led to a successful foray into interior design.
While most little girls were playing with dolls, Olivia was using her playtime to write music and poetry. She realized very early that she truly had a passion for the arts. At 19, she landed a meeting with an Arista Records executive who then introduced her to the legendary Clive Davis. He was so blown away by the 19 year old's vocal ability and raw talent that he decided to sign Olivia immediately as the first artist to his newly established label, J Records. Clive took her under his wing, mentoring her and showing her what the music business was all about, ultimately helping mold her into a superstar. Her gold selling song, "Bizounce", was the lead single for the release of her self-titled debut album in 2000, which eventually sold close to 500,000 copies.
Later, after signing a deal with Interscope records, 50 Cent crowned her The First Lady of G-Unit. With Chris Lighty and the entire Violator team behind G-Unit Records' only female R&B artist, she quickly flourished. Hits like "Candy Shop" and "Best Friend" brought the versatile artist to radio around the world. Since leaving G-Unit, Olivia has been focused on creating a new persona that has expanded beyond hip-hop.
Olivia is forging a new flame in R&B and feeling the success of her first single from her new studio album Show the World, the highly anticipated power ballad "December". The song has reached #12 on Billboard's Hot 100 R&B/Soul Chart.
Once recognized as the #1 Latin music artist on MySpace, Somaya Reece has leveraged her popularity on the site to build a thriving career as an actress, personality, and musician. "My tenacity and drive has helped me start to achieve what I have always dreamed of", she gushes. "I love my career!"
Somaya Reece hailed as "The next Sophia Loren" is a voluptuous vixen with 40-28-46 dimensions. It's easy to see why this Salvadorian beauty from South Central was recently named the Hottest Latina in Music by Maxim en Español, UK and Philippines. In 2008, Somaya was nominated "Internet Hottie" by Spike TV Guys Choice Awards. Askmen ranks Somaya #74 of the Top 100 Hottest Women Celebrities, Telemundo calls her "The Latina Jessica Rabbit, and "Hottest Woman on the Web" by E! As a commercial actress/persona, she has appeared in high-profile campaigns for Ralph Lauren, DKNY, Colgate, Pepsi, Budweiser, and Coors Light.
Somaya released her first single, "Tramp", in early 2010. "Tramp" rapidly climbed up ReverbNation.com charts, hitting the #1 artist spot in electronica dance for the UK. She is currently recording new music with renowned production team, Midi Mafia.
In 2011, Somaya appeared in the Lionsgate film Go For It, and became the first female to own a tequila brand. La Jefa Tequila is scheduled to launch in 2012.
Born in New York City, but raised in Virginia, Emily always knew fashion was her calling. From the time she was a young woman, she was determined to make it her career.
Emily became a mother very early in her life. Yet, unlike many teen mothers, instead of derailing her plans for success, she became even more determined to find her own identity and make her dreams come true. By working diligently, Emily soon established herself as a styling expert for local entertainers and athletes in Virginia.
At age 21, a chance meeting with Grammy-nominated rapper Fabolous would change her life forever, eventually resulting in Emily and her young daughter's relocating from Virginia back to Emily's hometown, New York City. Emily was not only thrust into a new, high profile relationship, but she also had an opportunity to take her career to the next level. Now living in the fashion capital of the world, Emily quickly developed a reputation as one of the most respected and sought after fashion stylists in the entertainment business.
Balancing a demanding schedule along with motherhood and a serious relationship proved to be an immense challenge. As her career continued to skyrocket, she chose to remain behind the scenes to support her partner and combat the negative stereotypes often associated with being the girlfriend of a successful entertainer. As the person behind the camera for red carpets, music videos, and awards shows, Emily quietly built a clientele that includes some of the biggest names in music, television, and sports today.
The proud mother of two is now co-starring in VH1's reality showLove and Hip-Hop and planning the launch of her own clothing line, Emily B.
Kim Vanderhee, known to many as "Kimbella", began her career in 2003 as a local model in the Miami, Florida area. It wasn't long before Kim's exotic beauty propelled her to vixen status as she graced the pages of various publications, most recently the cover of Black Men's magazine.
A free-spirited outgoing child, Kimbella always harbored dreams of stardom. Born to an African-American father and Caucasian mother, Kim was a rare beauty destined for notoriety. Using her looks as a way to get in the business, Kim has evolved from model to a modern day superwoman. Kim is mom to two beautiful boys; she shares the youngest with rapper Juelz Santana, whom Kim regards as one of her biggest inspirations and supporters.
Always thinking outside of the box, Kim sees each opportunity as a stepping-stone. Her next step is towards fulfilling her childhood dreams and extending her career to pop star status as she begins working on her music career. Kim promises to deliver a new sound that's both unexpected and intoxicating. Meanwhile, she is preparing to launch a line of designer watches this fall under her "Bella" lifestyle brand. Kim is also testing her writing skills as she prepares to pen a column in a popular urban magazine titled, Vixen's Day Off. Her articles will compare and contrast the everyday lives of popular vixens and their famous alter egos.
Yandy Smith is an entertainment powerhouse with years invested in the industry. She got her start as Executive Assistant to Mona Scott-Young at the multi-media conglomerate Violator Management. During this time, Yandy worked on several projects in the music, TV and film world, working with artists on Violator's client roster such as 50 Cent, Missy Elliott, and LL Cool J, to name a few.
Yandy began managing the career of rapper Jim Jones and soon left Violator to focus on her client's rising career. Through this journey, she became a consultant at Warner Music Group/Atlantic Records and was responsible for closing a joint venture deal for Jones with Columbia Records.
In 2008, Yandy gained recognition as one of Billboard magazine's Top 30 Executives under 30 and rejoined Scott-Young at Monami Entertainment, where she holds the title of talent manager.
These days, Yandy adds yet another dimension to her career. She makes a natural transition from entertainment to fashion as part owner of the popular new lifestyle brand, Everything Girls Love, for which she also holds the title of President and Brand Manager.
| Season 1 | Season 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Chrissy Lampkin | ||
| Olivia Longott | ||
| Somaya Reece | ||
| Emily Bustamante | ||
| Kimbella Vanderhee | ||
| Yandy Smith |
| Season 1 | Season 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Mashonda | ||
| Teairra Mari | ||
| Erica Mena | ||
| Jim Jones | ||
| Nancy Jones | ||
| Maurice |
| Season | Episodes | Season Premiere | Season Finale | Reunion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | March 14, 2011 | May 2, 2011 | May 16, 2011 | |
| 2 | 11 | November 14, 2011 | January 23, 2012 | TBA | |
| Ep # | Title | Airdate | US Viewers (million) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Love & Hip Hop" | March 14, 2011 | 1.037 |
| West Coast rapper Somaya Reece arrives in New York to take her career to the next level. She's hungry and ready to grind! Somaya meets with rapper Jim Jones, who agrees to collaborate. Emily gets together with Mashonda, the ex-wife of super producer Swizz Beats. Mashonda's situation has Emily contemplating the future of her relationship with Fab and she breaks down. It's girls' night out! Chrissy, Olivia and Emily attend an NBA draft party and start cracking on a chick in the crowd. It's Somaya Reece! In the bathroom of the club Chrissy and Somaya clash. Somaya asks if Chrissy's mad that she's working with Jim. Chrissy goes off and insults Somaya's wardrobe. | |||
| 2 | "The Birthday" | March 21, 2011 | 0.815 |
| Olivia told Chrissy and Emily that she's dating New York Jet, Darrell Revis. But Emily has a secret: She's Darrell's stylist and she doesn't think he and Olivia are dating! In a meeting with Darrell, Emily asks him about the relationship. He says they're not dating and he hasn't seen Olivia in months! Somaya needs to make some money, so her manager Maurice sets up a photo shoot. Maurice pushes for extra sexy shots; Somaya is not having it and storms off the set. Chrissy is in the studio with Jim and Somaya shows up! The tension is palpable. Somaya plays one of her tracks for Jim and he likes it, much to Chrissy's dismay. Will Chrissy let this collaboration go down? Jim's mom is throwing a party for her son's birthday and Chrissy reluctantly agrees to help plan it. They put aside their differences and the party is a success. In a quiet moment alone, Chrissy tells Jim they need to think about their future. Jim agrees, which for Chrissy is a shockingly pleasant surprise! | |||
| 3 | "The Yacht" | March 28, 2011 | 0.687 |
| Emily confronts Olivia about the Darrell situation. Olivia is pissed that Emily went to Darrell behind her back. Emily tries to smooth things out but Olivia flips the script and digs in on Emily's relationship with Fab. Chrissy and Emily go to see Somaya perform at Love Jones. They are not impressed! Chrissy tells Jim that Somaya needs to practice and advises against working with her; Jim agrees. When Somaya brings her track back to Jim, he tells her doesn't have the time to work with her. Somaya is devastated! Somaya turns to Emily to find out if Chrissy was behind Jim's backing out. Emily organizes a day on a yacht so that Somaya and Chrissy can work out their differences. When Somaya confronts Chrissy about the track Chrissy savages Somaya's rapping skills. Everything goes sideways when Maurice joins the fray and calls Chrissy "trifling"! | |||
| 4 | "Aftermath" | April 4, 2011 | 0.735 |
| Chrissy is hot about the sh*t that Maurice was talking on the boat. She thinks he needs to be checked, so she calls Jim. While Rich, Olivia, Somaya and Maurice are having drinks, Jim storms in and drags Maurice outside! A terrified Maurice is forced to apologize to the camera! After the smoke settles, Maurice is upset that Somaya didn't have his back. He is still shook and living in fear. Can he continue managing Somaya? In need of comfort and support, Somaya invites her ex-boyfriend, rapper XO for a visit. After a sexy reunion, XO lays down a sick verse on Somaya's track, vowing to beat back the haters! | |||
| 5 | "A Voice" | April 11, 2011 | 0.896 |
| Olivia works on new material in the studio. Her manager, Rich, tells her that she has to work hard to convince people that she's more than "the girl that was with 50 Cent". Olivia is frustrated that people don't believe in her and she tearfully breaks down. Mashonda's ex, producer Swizz Beats, just married Alicia Keys, so Emily offers her support. Emily acknowledges the rumors that Fab is with other women. She claims it doesn't bother her, but Mashonda is not convinced. Emily visits Mashonda, who is moving out of the dream house she shared with Swizz Beats. The house is in a shocking state of disrepair and Mashonda explains that it's in foreclosure. To help Emily find her voice, Moshanda signs her up to read her poetry at a women's showcase. The night of the performance Emily is terrified, but once she takes the stage she conquers her fears and kills it! Will her newfound confidence help her stand up to Fab? Somaya asks Emily to get the girls together for happy hour to make things right. But she has ulterior motives: she wants to confront Olivia for giving out Maurice's location when Jim beat him up! She goes in on Olivia and calls her a snitch! Olivia is not having it and walks away. Emily stays with Somaya, which further enrages Olivia. She wants nothing to do with Somaya or Emily! | |||
| 6 | "Proposal" | April 18, 2011 | 0.690 |
| Chrissy reveals to Olivia that she's going to propose to Jim! She's tired of waiting and is ready for the next stage of their relationship. Not only is she going to pop the question, she's going to do it with a sexy burlesque routine! Rich has a plan for getting Olivia a new deal: a listening party. He sets up a showcase for industry insiders to see Olivia perform her new material. The stakes are high and Olivia delivers. Her single, "December", brings down the house. But is it enough to land a deal? It's time for Chrissy's burlesque proposal! She's assembled a group of friends and family and they have no idea what is about to go down. As Chrissy puts on her risqué outfit, she has second thoughts about her burlesque routine. She decides to scrap the routine but go forward with the proposal. She takes the stage and pops the question. Will Jim say yes? | |||
| 7 | "Hold You Down" | April 25, 2011 | 1.180 |
| Chrissy pops the question and Jim says, "I'm with you". Momma Jones is pissed about the secret proposal and storms out! The next day, Chrissy goes to confront Momma Jones about her antics and tensions flare. Nancy is still tight about being excluded from the process and reveals that she doesn't think Chrissy is "the one for Jim"! Later, Chrissy presses Jim on wedding plans, but Jim is in no rush to stroll down the aisle. Jim invites Olivia to the studio to work on a "special record". Olivia is surprised to discover it's an ode to Chrissy! Jim may be reluctant to get married, but he pours his true feelings about his relationship into the track. Emily booked a family photo shoot, but Fab is a no-show. He doesn't want to appear on the program even though his girl and his children are on it; the "family thing" just isn't part of his brand. Johan runs wild and Emily is devastated: she could have really used the love and support of her man. In an interview with a hip hop blog, Somaya disses Olivia. When Rich catches wind of Somaya's rant, he vows to exact revenge! | |||
| 8 | "Me Against the Joneses" | May 2, 2011 | 1.162 |
| Jim takes Chrissy out for a night on the town to reconnect after the whirlwind proposal. Chrissy wants to talk about a marriage plan but Jim isn't interested in thinking about the future. He plays Chrissy the song he recorded for her, but she's not impressed. The sentiment is nice but she wants to know where this relationship is going! Somaya and Maurice are in the studio and Rich storms in! He's amped about Somaya's diss video and flies into a rage defending his client! Somaya doesn't back down and says that if Olivia wants a piece of her, they can go "round for round"! Emily is upset about another Fab rumor on the blogs, so she goes to talk to Mashonda. She knows it's not true, but living in his shadow is taking its toll. She breaks down and admits that she needs to change her life, and to do that she might have to leave Fab. Chrissy tries to make things right with Momma Jones, but Jim's mom is not having it! She's still hot about Chrissy's confronting her about the proposal and tells her that she "is done trying". Things go off the rails when Mama Jones demands that Chrissy give her a grand baby! Chrissy is at wits end: how can she marry Jimmy if she has to deal with his crazy mama? | |||
| 9 | "Reunion" | May 16, 2011 | N/A |
| Do you think that Mama Jones and Chrissy will have words? Will Olivia talk some smack to Somaya after "December" trounced "Would You Still Love Me" on the charts? Will Maurice dare show his face? | |||
Season 2 premiered November 14, 2011 at 9PM EST with 10 new, hour long episodes.
| Ep # | Title | Airdate | US Viewers (million) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Still Look Pretty" | November 14, 2011 | 2.566[2] |
|
Chrissy still doesn't have a ring on her finger and her rapper boyfriend, Jim Jones has already lost his! Jim's mom is wrecking havoc again; she recorded a a diss rap, "Psychotic Bitch," clearly aimed at Jim and Chrissy. Emily is no longer willing to live without a real commitment, so she left the rapper Fabolous and set up house with her two kids. Olivia and Somaya both continue to try and figure out how to survive in the music industry. There are two new women in the mix this season. Yandy is Jones' manager and Kimbella is a video model and the girlfriend and baby mama of rapper Juelz Santana. But three years ago, she was dating Fab. It is a detail that reveals itself at an emancipation party Emily throws to celebrate her newly single status. Note: Season 2's episodes were extended from 30 minutes to an hour. |
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| 2 | "B----, I'm Fuego" | November 21, 2011 | 2.787[3] |
| Emily's emancipation party played like an MMA cage match. In the aftermath, everyone tries to make sense of it. But battle lines are beginning to emerge. Yandy gives Chrissy a self-help book aimed at troublesome mother-in-laws. The book instantly creates more problems than it solves. Somaya has a big showcase coming up but she's not getting much support from her manager Maurice who books ballerinas instead of B-Boys for back-up dancers. When she finally does make it to the stage, the dancers are perfect ... her wardrobe, not so much | |||
| 3 | "A Toast To Kimbella" | November 28, 2011 | 2.929[4] |
| The battle between Chrissy and Yandy escalates after Yandy expresses interest in managing Somaya. Feeling disrespected, Yandy goes AWOL and Jim Jones misses a show AND a big pay day. Emily gets the keys to her new place and has her first house guest, good friend and recording artist Teairra Mari. Teairra wants to help Emily transition to the single life and drags her to an industry event; turns out it's a party to celebrate Kimbella's cover photo on "Black Men's Magazine." | |||
| 4 | "Fizzy-chotic" | December 5, 2011 | 2.385[5] |
|
Olivia reveals her troubled relationship with her mom. Meanwhile, Jim's mom Nancy is working hard to improve relations with Chrissy. She's also trying to improve her bottom line by marketing t-shirts with a label Chrissy slapped on her last season: Psychotic Bitch. Hopefully no one will notice or mind that she spelled "psychotic" wrong. Meanwhile, Kimbella tries to make up with Emily by throwing her a party. A party that turns awkward when Chrissy arrives. Note: This is the first episode to air at 8PM EST. |
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| 5 | "Emily's 'Fabolous' Life" | December 19, 2011 | 2.288[6] |
| Emily's new life as a single working mom takes off when she lands a high profile styling job during New York's fashion week. But when Fab shows up to support her, everyone begins to wonder just how "single" she really is. Chrissy and Kimbella meet to try and resolve their long simmering feud. Yandy is forced to work a few miracles when Jim decides to shoot a video with 48 hours notice. | |||
| 6 | "Bottle Service" | December 26, 2011 | 2.704[7] |
| Jim buys himself a fancy new car which doesn't sit well with Chrissy who is still waiting for her fancy new ring. She meets with a trusted aunt and uncle who drop some wisdom that seems to give her renewed strength. Yandy meets up with a potential new client, video model turned singer Erica Mena. But when Erica meets Kimbella, a war of words turns physical. | |||
| 7 | "These Are The Breaks" | January 2, 2012 | 2.818[8] |
| Yandy finds herself at odds with both Jim and Chrissy and begins to consider a career move. Meanwhile, Kimbella tries to understand why she brings out everybody's mean side. Tired of waiting for a commitment, Chrissy gives in to pent up frustration and questions her relationship with Jim. Needing a getaway to clear her head, she takes off to Miami with Emily and Olivia. Is Jim's secret plan to engage Chrissy too little and too late? | |||
| 8 | "Miami Vice" | January 9, 2012 | |
| Jim Jones suprises Chrissy in Miami with a touching proposal. Kimbella faces the demons of her past by meeting with her mother & the demons of her present by meeting with Erica to squash the beef. Meanwhile, Teirra Mari and Olivia are both being courted by super producer Rico Love. It's a three way that creates instant tensions. Exhausted and fed up, Yandy resigns as Jim's manager. And when they meet at a club in Miami, the long simmering feud finally erupts in an epic face-off. | |||
| 9 | "TBA" | January 16, 2012 | |
| 10 | "TBA" | January 23, 2012 | |
| 11 | "Reunion" | TBA | |
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