Kamal Givens
| Kamal Givens | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Kamal Givens |
| Also known as | Chance |
| Born | March 25, 1981 |
| Genres | Hip-hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Years active | 2006-present |
| Associated acts | The Stallionaires, Real |
Kamal Givens, also known as Chance, is best known for his work in reality TV, beginning with his role on season one of VH1's I Love New York, wherein he was one of 20 contenders for the affections of Tiffany "Miss New York" Pollard. On I Love New York, Chance appears with his brother Ahmad Givens, also known as Real. Chance is also a former Capitol Records artist.
The Stallionaires
Chance and Real were born in South Central/Beverly Hills, California and raised together on a horse ranch. They, plus another brother, Micah, were in a rap group known as the Stallionaires, in reference to where they were raised.[1]
Reality TV
I Love New York
Chance and Real were discovered by VH1 producers through their MySpace pages. The brothers were among 20 contestants in I Love New York. This Bachelor-style dating show features Tiffany Pollard, better known as Miss New York, in her quest to find true love. Chance was eliminated on the 11th episode, making him the show's runner-up. He then later was brought back on I Love New York 2 as a guest to help New York pick the right guy that season. Chance is also noteworthy, because not picking him was the only regret New York voiced publicly.[2]
I Love Money
Chance was one of the 17 contestants in the VH1 reality show I Love Money, which features returning contestants from past VH1 reality shows such as Flavor of Love, I Love New York, and Rock of Love with Bret Michaels. The 17 competed in physical and mental challenges en route to a grand prize of $250,000. Chance was eliminated around the middle of the show, after failing at being a "team player" in several challenges and generally being high maintenance. Hoopz (Nicole Alexander) ultimately won I Love Money.
Real Chance of Love
Subsequently, VH1 announced Chance and Real were to hosts a new, similar reality show, Real Chance of Love. It premiered October 20, 2008 after a "sneak peek" five days earlier,[3] and involved 17 women vying for the affection of the brothers over the span of 11 episodes.[4] Chance ended up not choosing anyone, saying he wasn't ready to fall in love. He and Real returned for the second season, Real Chance of Love 2, where they tried to find love, once again, with 20 new women vying for their affection. The second season ended with Chance choosing a contestant named "Hot Wings" over runner-up "Mamacita".
Ahmad's death
Kamal's brother Ahmad died from colon cancer on February 20, 2015, aged 35. Ahmad is survived by his widow Racquel, son Madhi, and other relatives.[5]
References
- ↑ "I Love Money Cat Reveal: Day Two". VH1 Blog. May 6, 2008.
- ↑ "I Love Money Cat Reveal: Day Two". VH1 Blog. May 6, 2008.
- ↑ "Entertainment". PR Newswire. October 7, 2008.
- ↑ "Coming soon to VH1: Real Chance of Love". Reality TV Scoop. September 2008.
- ↑ Gomez, Patrick (February 21, 2015). "Real Chance of Love Star Ahmad Givens Dies at 33". People.