Image from vh1.com
It’s been nearly a month since the third season of vh1’s Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta premiered mid June. As much opposition as there was to the first and second seasons, which were filmed in the New York/New Jersey area, the third season was filmed in Atlanta. Atlanta has always been the center of Southern Black culture. This season the women of Love & Hip-Hop are: Mimi Faust, Joseline Hernandez, Rasheeda, K. Michelle, Erica Dixon, and Karlie Redd.
Mimi Faust is the long-time girlfriend of Grammy-winner Hip-Hop producer, musician, and songwriter Stevie J. Joseline Hernandez is a former stripper turned Latin rapper and singer. Stevie J discovered her in the strip club, and works with Joseline on her music. K. Michelle is a singer-songwriter and musician. She had a deal with Jive Records but things went sour. Rasheeda is a rapper and is signed to her husband’s Kirk Frost’s Label and Management Company. Erica Dixon is the on and off girlfriend of rapper, Scrappy. Finally, Karlie Redd is a model, aspiring actress, and singer.
Since the third season first aired they’ve had four episodes, their newest one airs next Monday July 16th. Over those four episodes glasses have been thrown, there was a fist fight , an abortion, and all other kinds of outrageous occurrences. The craziest things happen among Mimi, Joseline, and Stevie J. Anyone who has viewed the show regularly, or has just seen an episode or too, can tell that Joseline and Stevie have been intimate, despite the fact that Stevie has a child with Mimi and they have been in a relationship for 15 years.
From the first few moments of Joseline and Stevie’s interactions you could tell something suspicious was going on. As a viewer of the show, I find Stevie’s audacity to be very interesting. In the first episode he buys his girlfriend Mimi a house far out from the downtown area and says it’s for her. He, on the other hand, will continue to live in an apartment downtown to work on his music. It doesn’t take very long to notice he’s just trying to stay around Joseline and any other women he’s involved with.
Although this show is called Love & Hip-Hop it’s full of a lot of fighting, wrong doings, and violence. By no means do I expect to see a show where things are perfect, that’s not real life. At the same time, this show is beyond out outrageous, much more than the previous two seasons were. My only question is where’s the actual love? On a show where the main focus seems to be between a man, his girlfriend, and his protégé/ mistress.
There are a few characters that are actually respectable people. Rasheeda and Kirk seem to be the most sincere of the cast, while their marriage has its ups and down you can see the love there. Why aren’t they the focus? Instead of a show that always focuses on the negative. It could be that I’m jumping to conclusions; maybe Stevie gets his act together and does right by Mimi. I’m just hoping for a reality show that has an even mix of positive as well as negative. Rather than, always looking for negative that will reach for high ratings. In a world where reality television often focuses on tearing people down, having violent fights, and promoting negativity. I just want to know where’s the love?