This is an accepted version of this page Love & Hip Hop is a media franchise that consists of several reality television series broadcast on VH1.

The shows document the personal and professional lives of several hip hop and R&B musicians, performers, managers, and record producers residing in various metropolitan areas of the United States.

[1][2] Love & Hip Hop has generated controversy since its inception, and is often criticized for tending towards a narrative format more commonly seen in scripted genres such as soap operas, and appearing to fabricate much of its story line.

Production on Love & Hip Hop was shut down in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, taking the franchise off the air for the first time in 6 years.

[12] VH1 were unsure if audiences would be invested in the concept full-time[13] and Jones' manager, Yandy Smith, approached Mona Scott-Young, her former employer at Violator, to retool the show.

[14] The concept was tweaked to include Jim's girlfriend Chrissy Lampkin and her circle of friends, influenced by the female ensemble-driven reality shows of the time.

[19] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times praised the show's deconstruction of the public image of rappers, as well as the quality of the production values with "slick, beautiful shots of the women driving spectacular cars with no men in sight".

[23] The season saw the addition of Kimbella Vanderhee, the girlfriend of Juelz Santana, and Yandy Smith, Jim Jones' manager, to the cast, with Teairra Marí and video vixen Erica Mena in supporting roles.

[26][27][28][29][30] The love triangle between former Bad Boy Records producer Stevie J, his baby mama Mimi Faust and Joseline Hernandez, an ex-stripper-turned-aspiring artist who has an abortion in an early episode, garnered significant media attention,[31][32] as did singer and breakout star K. Michelle's domestic violence storyline and Lil Scrappy's mother Momma Dee, who admits to being a former pimp.

[34] On December 16, 2012, VH1 aired Dirty Little Secrets, a special featuring unseen footage, deleted scenes and interviews with the show's cast and producers.

[46] The season's storylines and scandals (particularly Mimi and Nikko's sex tape, Benzino's non-fatal shooting and Joseline and Stevie's violent behavior at the reunion special) garnered intense media coverage and made its cast members tabloid fixtures.

Reality stars from other shows would also make appearances, including VH1's Black Ink Crew and Mob Wives, as well as from Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

The special focused on the reality on being openly LGBT in the hip hop community, and coincided with the airing of the seventh episode of the season, in which bisexual cast member Miles comes out to his ex-girlfriend Amber.

[58] On July 7, 2015, shortly after her release from prison, Remy Ma announced that she was joining Love & Hip Hop: New York, along with her husband Papoose.

[78][79][80][81] On April 13, 2017, it was announced that Keyshia Cole would be joining the cast of Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood's fourth season, which would premiere on July 24, 2017.

[97] The season would be accompanied by an official podcast, Love & Hip Hop: The Tea, hosted by Jesse Janedy, TK Trinidad and Lem Gonsalves.

On October 23, 2018, Deadline reported that production company Eastern TV had been "taken off" Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood, though they would continue to produce New York, Miami and Atlanta.

[106] The season's visual changes drew mixed to negative reactions, and unfavorable comparisons Big Fish's other VH1 production, Black Ink Crew.

[108] Season six of Hollywood would ultimately be the first of the franchise to be produced without Eastern TV, as Big Fish would take over production of Love & Hip Hop going forward.

Original cast members Chrissy Lampkin, Jim Jones, Olivia Longott and Somaya Reece would rejoin the show, along with Erica Mena and Tahiry Jose.

It would feature an entirely new opening credits sequence, highlighting a return to the franchise's "cinematic" aesthetics, while also reviving storylines from New York's earliest seasons.

[115] After a series of interviews in which she criticized producer Mona Scott-Young, dismissing her as a "talent scout", Joseline disappeared from the show entirely after four episodes.

On June 12, 2020, VH1-owners ViacomCBS announced that they had severed their relationship with Big Fish Entertainment,[124] due to backlash against the handling of the video footage showing the killing of Javier Ambler for their A&E series, Live PD.

[125] On October 8, 2020, Mona Scott-Young confirmed VH1 would be producing the Love & Hip Hop franchise in-house going forward, saying "it won’t change my role in the way that I work with them but there is a process now that’s taking place, and also of course, the caution, the precautions that need to be taken with figuring out how to reimagine a docuseries and do it while adhering to safety protocols and finding a different way of making the show.”[126] On December 3, 2020, it was reported that two new spin-offs were in production and set to premiere in 2021, one features various couples from the franchise's history, and another featuring cast members from Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, Hollywood and Miami living together in an Arizona hotel.

The special would be followed by VH1 Family Reunion: Love & Hip Hop Edition, a limited series featuring cast members from New York, Atlanta, Hollywood and Miami, on February 8.

[130] In a departure from previous seasons, Atlanta would also feature cast members from Love & Hip Hop: New York, while its storylines focused more on social justice issues and the Black Lives Matter movement.

[136] Another four-part special called Love & Hip Hop: Where Are They Now?, featuring past cast members from all four franchises, began airing from October 31, 2022.

It was preceded by a special six-week limited series Love & Hip Hop Atlanta: Run It Back, which premiered May 9, 2023, and ended June 6, 2023, and featured cast members recapping every episode of the first season.

Prince Jr, Propain, the Sauce Twinz, the Charlo Brothers, DJ Eric, Lil' Keith, and Mehgan James as cast members.

The show was to be hosted by Ray J and produced by Mona Scott Young,[153] however it never made it to air and it is unclear if it was to be considered a part of the Love & Hip Hop franchise.