5.6 /10 1 Votes
6.1/10 TV Original language(s) English Original network VH1 Network VH1 Genre Reality television | 4.9/10 IMDb Country of origin United States Running time 41–44 minutes First episode date 6 March 2011 Number of seasons 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Picture format 480i (SDTV)
720p (HDTV)
1080i (HDTV) Related shows Spin-offs Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood Cast Cardi B, Erica Mena, Remy Ma, Yandy Smith, Joe Budden Similar Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood, Chrissy & Mr Jones, This Is Hot 97, Sisterhood of Hip Hop Profiles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Love & Hip Hop is a media franchise that consists of several reality television series broadcast on VH1. The shows document the lives and relationships of hip hop and R&B musicians, performers, managers and record producers residing in varying regions throughout the United States. The original franchise version, Love & Hip Hop: New York, premiered on March 6, 2011. Its success resulted in spin-offs located in Atlanta and Hollywood. The subsequent installments have proven similarly successful, and have resulted in spin-offs of their own.
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On August 8, 2016, VH1 and 345 Games announced the release of Love & Hip Hop: The Game, a mobile game for iOS and Android. It was released worldwide on September 22, 2016.
As of March 6, 2017, 225 original episodes of Love & Hip Hop: New York, Atlanta and Hollywood have aired over sixteen seasons.
Broadcast history
Love & Hip Hop had its origins as a pilot called Keeping Up With the Joneses, which centered around rapper Jim Jones and was produced by Stefan Springman and Toby Barraud. When VH1 brought producer Mona Scott-Young on board in 2006, its focus shifted to include Jim's girlfriend Chrissy Lampkin and her circle of friends. The series was first mentioned in VH1's programming development report in early 2010 as Diary of a Hip Hop Girlfriend. On January 4, 2011, it was announced that Love & Hip Hop would debut on March 6, 2011, as an eight episode series. The first season was later expanded to nine episodes in order to include the first season reunion, which aired on May 16, 2011.
On May 25, 2011, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on November 14, 2011. It featured two new additions to the cast - Kimbella Vanderhee, mother of Juelz Santana's son, and Yandy Smith, Jim Jones' manager. The second season premiere came in with the highest ratings in two years in VH1 history with 2.566 million viewers. Cast relations with the producers eventually soured and Lampkin and Jim Jones announced that they would be leaving the show to star in their own spin-off series Chrissy & Mr. Jones. The show was revamped in the third season with nearly a whole new cast.
Love & Hip Hop: New York has continued for seven seasons with several major cast changes. Managers Rich Dollaz and Yandy Smith have remained the longest surviving cast members. Smith's marriage to Mendeecees Harris was televised live in the special, Love & Hip Hop: The Wedding Live, which aired on May 25, 2015.
Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta premiered June 18, 2012 on VH1. It became the highest-rated installment of the Love & Hip Hop franchise and has continued for five seasons. Its success spawned the spin-offs K. Michelle: My Life, Stevie J & Joseline: Go Hollywood and Leave It To Stevie, as well as an after-show, Love & Hip Hop Atlanta: After Party Live, which was hosted by Big Tigger and aired during the show's fourth season.
Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood premiered on September 15, 2014 on VH1 and has continued for three seasons. Its second season featured the first openly gay male couple in the franchise's history. A special, Love & Hip Hop: Out in Hip Hop, aired on October 19, 2015 and showcased several rappers and performers involved in the LGBT hip hop scene.
Future installments in Miami and Houston began filming in 2016, with initial plans to air in 2017. Trick Daddy and Trina confirmed their involvement in Love & Hip Hop: Miami. Plies, Brianna Perry, Mike Smiff, Simply Jess, DJ Michelle Pooch, Malik the Editorial and Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta's PreMadonna and Dawn Heflin have also all reportedly filmed scenes for the show.
Love & Hip Hop: Houston featured Kirko Bangz, Kat St. John, Just Brittany, Nessacary, J. Prince Jr, Propain, the Sauce Twinz, the Charlo Brothers, DJ Eric, Lil' Keith, Mehgan James and Love & Hip Hop: New York's Jhonni Blaze as cast members. However, the show was put on hold indefinitely due to concerns for the filming crew's safety.
Cast crossovers
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Cultural impact
During a speech at a campaign rally in North Carolina on November 4, 2016, President Barack Obama referenced the show, comparing the 2016 presidential race to reality television, saying "I mean, its like some Love & Hip Hop stuff."
In the film Barbershop: The Next Cut, when Eve and Common's characters get into an argument over their relationship, Cedric the Entertainer's character makes a reference to the franchise, saying "This ain't no Love & Hip Hop reunion."
Lee Daniels is a fan of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta and his 2016 television series Star (set in Atlanta) makes several references to the show. Joseline Hernandez appears in a recurring role as Michelle, a stripper. In the second episode, Lenny Kravitz's character is seen watching a scene of the show featuring Mimi Faust and Stevie J. In a later scene in the same episode, Jessica Dime makes a cameo appearance as a stripper. Additionally, Star cast member Jasmine Burke appears in Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta's sixth season as herself (as a love interest of Lil Scrappy's).
In an 2016 overview of the television cultural divide, The New York Times reported that Love & Hip Hop was most popular show in the Black Belt.