Love & Hip Hop: New York (Courtesy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Love & Hip Hop: New York (also known as Love & Hip Hop) is the original installment of the Love & Hip Hop reality television franchise on VH1. The series debuted on March 6, 2011, and chronicles the lives of several people in New York City who are involved with hip hop music. Its success has produced the spin-offs Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, Chrissy & Mr. Jones, Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood, K. Michelle: My Life, & Stevie J & Joseline: Go Hollywood. On November 2, 2015, VH1 has renewed and announced the return for the sixth season, which premiered on December 14, 2015. VH1 has renewed the show for a seventh season.

Cast

Main

Starring	Seasons
	1	2	3	4	5	6
	Current
Yandy Smith-Harris		colspan="5"
Tara Wallace	colspan="3"	colspan="3"
Amina Buddafly	colspan="3"	colspan="3"
Cardi B	colspan="5"
Mariahlynn	colspan="5"
Remy Ma	colspan="5"
	Former
Chrissy Lampkin	colspan="2"	colspan="4"
Emily Bustamante	colspan="2"	colspan="4"
Somaya Reece	colspan="2"	colspan="4"
Olivia Longott	colspan="2"		colspan="3"
Kimbella Vanderhee
Erica Mena			colspan="3"
Winter Ramos				colspan="3"
Jen the Pen	colspan="2"		colspan="3"
Raqi Thunder	colspan="2"		colspan="3"
Tahiry Jose	colspan="2"	colspan="2"	colspan="2"
Rashidah Ali	colspan="2"			colspan="2"
Erica Jean	colspan="3"	colspan="1"	colspan="2"
K. Michelle	colspan="3"	colspan="1"	colspan="2"
Cyn Santana	colspan="3"
Chrissy Monroe	colspan="4"	colspan="1"
Moe Money & Sexxy Lexxy	colspan="5"

Current

• Yandy Smith-Harris (Season 2-present) is an entertainment manager, entrepreneur and wife of Mendeecees Harris. She has one biological son Omere and a daughter, Skylar, as well as Lil Mendeecees and Aasim from her husband's previous relationships. The second season documents her dramatic falling out with rapper Jim Jones, who she managed for seven years. She married Mendeecees in 2015 and their marriage ceremony was performed live on VH1 in the special Love & Hip Hop Live: The Wedding.
• Tara Wallace (Season 4-present) is the mother of Peter Gunz's three sons, Jamison, Kaz and Gunner. She is an aspiring actress and etiquette coach. The series chronicles the sick and twisted love triangle between her, Peter and his wife Amina, including the women's dueling pregnancies in the sixth season.
• Amina Buddafly (Season 4-present) is an R&B singer and wife of Peter Gunz. She was born in Germany and is a former member of the girl group Black Buddafly. She has two daughters by Peter, Cori and Bronx.
• Cardi B (Season 6-present) is a rapper and social media personality. She was born and raised in The Bronx and is of Dominican and Trinidadian descent. She is a former stripper who gained Internet fame for her video posts on Instagram and Vine. She is considered the breakout star of the show's sixth season.
• Mariahlynn (Season 6-present) is a rapper. She was born and raised in Jersey City. She is of Puerto Rican and Italian ethnicity. The sixth season chronicles her flings with Cisco Rosado and Rich Dollaz and her struggles with her mother (who suffers from substance abuse issues).
• Remy Ma (Season 6-present) is a Grammy Award-nominated rapper and wife of Papoose. The series chronicles her return to the music industry after a six-year stint in jail. She married Papoose in 2008 while incarcerated and they renewed their vows in an official ceremony in the sixth season's finale.

Former

• Chrissy Lampkin (Seasons 1-2) is the fiance of rapper Jim Jones. She was born and raised in Harlem and is of African-American and Cuban ethnicity. The first season chronicled her struggles with Jim's commitment issues and her clashes with his mother Nancy. Her dramatic falling out with Jim's manager Yandy was the focus of season two. Chrissy and Jim left the show to star in their own spin-off show Chrissy & Mr. Jones.
• Emily Bustamante (Seasons 1-2) is a stylist and fashion designer. She is the mother of a daughter Taina and two sons, Johan and Jonas by the rapper Fabolous. The first two seasons chronicled her struggles with Fabolous' infidelity and his refusal to 'claim' her in public. She later appeared in a supporting role in the spin-off show Chrissy & Mr. Jones.
• Somaya "Boss" Reece (Seasons 1-2) is a rapper, singer and performer. She is of Salvadoran and Latin descent, born and raised in South Central, Los Angeles. She endured a rough childhood, including an abusive relationship with a teenage boyfriend, and a stint in a gang where she was stabbed and shot two times. The series documents her move to New York City and her struggles to build her music career.
• Olivia Longott (Seasons 1-2) (supporting cast member in season 3) is a R&B singer. She is of Indian, Cuban, Native American and Jamaican descent. She is known as the "First Lady" of G-Unit, as she was the first female signed to G-Unit Records. The series chronicled her comeback in the music industry after a series of career misfires.
• Kimberly "Kimbella" Vanderhee (Season 2) (guest star in seasons 3, 5) is an urban model, video vixen and Juelz Santana's baby mama. She is the mother of his two children, Juelz Jr. and Bella, and also has a son, Leandro, from a previous relationship. In the second season, she admits to having sex with Fabolous while Emily was pregnant with his child, igniting a violent altercation with Emily's friend Chrissy. She returns as Yandy's close friend and confidant in guest appearances in the third and fifth seasons.
• Erica Mena (Seasons 3-5) (supporting cast member in season 2) is an urban model, video vixen and singer. She is a Latina of Puerto Rican and Dominican ethnicity, born and raised in The Bronx. She has a son, King. She is introduced on the show as a rival of Kimbella. The third season focused on her turbulent relationship with manager Rich Dollaz and his struggles to kickstart her music career. She identifies as bisexual and entered a relationship with a woman, Cyn Santana, in the show's fourth season. She left the show in the fifth season due to her engagement to rapper Bow Wow, however, they separated months later.
• Winter Ramos (Season 3) (guest star in season 2) is an author, known for her hip-hop expos, Game Over: My Love for Hip-Hop. She had a guest appearance in the second season as Fabolous' assistant. Although she is credited as a main cast member in the third season, she appears infrequently, only appearing in four of the twelve episodes.
• Jen "The Pen" Bayer (Season 3) is a blogger and radio personality. She is from Staten Island. She is the long-term girlfriend of the rapper Consequence and is the mother of their child, Caiden. The third season chronicled her struggles with Cons' Muslim faith. She sparked controversy and criticism when she stated "I'm white, honey, it will get done" during a fight with cast member Raqi.
• Raqi Thunda (Season 3) is a radio personality and DJ. She is of Algerian-Puerto Rican ethnicity and is Muslim. She was introduced to the show as Joe Budden's best friend. They have a dramatic falling out during the course of the third season. She later sparks conflict with Tahiry, Jen and Rashidah.
• Tahiry Jose (Seasons 3-4) is an urban model and video vixen. She is of Dominican descent. The third and fourth seasons chronicle her on-again-off-again relationship with Joe Budden. In 2013, she attempted a singing career, releasing a single "Devil". She later appears with Joe and his then-girlfriend Kaylin in VH1's Couples Therapy.
• Rashidah "Rah" Ali (Season 3) (guest star in season 4) (supporting cast member in season 5-present) is an entertainment manager and self-professed "stiletto expert". She was a main cast member in the third season, before being demoted to a supporting cast member for the rest of the series. She is Muslim. She appears as a rival of Yandy's, having previously dated her husband Mendeecees. The third season documents her legal issues, including being charged for slashing a bouncer's face with a razor blade. The sixth season reveals her close friendship with Remy and her struggles as the manager of rivals BBOD and Mariahlynn. She has also appeared on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Black Ink Crew, and Basketball Wives.
• K. Michelle (Season 4) is a R&B/soul singer and songwriter. She is a cast member of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta and star of the spin-off K. Michelle: My Life. The fourth season documented her move to New York. Although she is credited as a main cast member in the fourth season, she appears infrequently.
• Erica Jean (Season 4) is the mother of Saigon's son, Brian Steven. The fourth season documented their struggles with raising their child, who is revealed to have developmental disabilities. She later appeared with Saigon on an episode of Iyanla: Fix My Life.
• Cyn Santana (Season 5) (supporting cast member in season 4) is a model. She is of Dominican and Salvadorian descent. She is introduced to the show as Erica Mena's girlfriend, although they have a dramatic break-up in season five. She identifies as bisexual and at the fifth season reunion, she introduces her boyfriend, Ray. In 2015, she started a music career and released the single "How Can You Leave", in tribute to her late brother who committed suicide the year before.
• Chrissy "Monroe" Crastanda (Season 5) is a model manager and socialite. She is a Baltimore native. She is a former pimp and ignited a feud with Erica Mena when she claimed Erica used to work as an escort for her. The fifth season chronicled her struggles with boyfriend Chink Santana.
• Miss Moe Money & Sexxy Lexxy (Season 6) are members of the rap duo BBOD (Bad Bitches on Deck). They are credited together in the opening credits. The sixth season chronicles their rivalries with their (then) manager Rashidah Ali and fellow rappers Young B and Mariahlynn.

Supporting

The series has a large ensemble cast. The lead cast members appear in the opening credits, while other cast members are credited as "additional cast" or "featured" in the show's credits. These supporting cast members appear in confessional interview segments and (for the most part) have the same amount of screen time and storyline focus as the show's main cast members.

Supporting	Seasons
	1	2	3	4	5	6
	Current
Rich Dollaz	colspan="6"
Peter Gunz	colspan="2"		colspan="3"
Cisco Rosando	colspan="2"			colspan="2"
Papoose	colspan="5"
Young B.	colspan="5"
DJ Self	colspan="5"
	Former
Jim Jones	colspan="2"	colspan="4"
Nancy "Mama" Jones	colspan="2"	colspan="4"
Maurice Aguilar	colspan="2"	colspan="4"
Mashonda		colspan="5"
Teairra Mar			colspan="4"
Joe Budden	colspan="2"	colspan="2"	colspan="2"
Consequence	colspan="2"		colspan="3"
Lore'l	colspan="2"		colspan="3"
Kaylin Garcia	colspan="2"		colspan="3"
Mendeecees Harris	colspan="2"			colspan="2"
Saigon	colspan="3"		colspan="2"
Nya Lee	colspan="3"		colspan="2"
Chink Santana	colspan="4"
Diamond Strawberry	colspan="4"
Precious Paris	colspan="4"
Jhonni Blaze	colspan="4"
Yorma Hernandez	colspan="5"
Rose	colspan="5"

Note:

Current

• Richard "Rich Dollaz" Trowers (Season 1-present) is an entertainment manager and record producer. He is the CEO of Dollaz Unlimited. He is a member of the self-professed "creep squad", along with Peter and Cisco. He was introduced to the show as Olivia's long-term manager, although the show later focuses on his love life, including his relationships with Erica Mena and his flings with Jhonni Blaze, Diamond Strawberry and Mariahlynn. He has a daughter, Ashley.
• Peter "Gunz" Pankey (Season 4-present) (guest star in season 3) is a rapper and father of Tara and Amina's children. The series chronicles their twisted love triangle and baby dramas. He is a member of the rap duo Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz and the "creep squad" with Rich and Cisco. He has ten children, including rapper Cory Gunz.
• Cisco Rosado (Season 5-present) (guest star in season 3) is a record producer. He is a member of the "creep squad" with Rich and Peter. He has a daughter and a son. The series focuses on his love life, including his turbulent relationships with Diamond Strawberry and his baby mama Tasha, along with his flings with Moe Money and Mariahlynn. In the fifth season, he also develops an interest in Cyn, producing a single for her and kickstarting her music career.
• Papoose (Season 6-present) is a rapper and husband of Remy Ma. They married while she was incarcerated in 2008 and renewed their vows in an official ceremony in the sixth season finale.
• Bianca "Young B." Dupree (Season 6-present) is a rapper, known for the hit single "Chicken Noodle Soup" (released when she was 14). She is from Harlem. She is managed by Yandy. The sixth season documents her return to the music industry after some personal struggles. She wins DJ Self's Gwinin Fest XL, beating rivals BBOD and Mariahlynn.
• DJ Self (Season 6-present) is a radio personality and DJ at Power 105.1 NYC radio station. He has a daughter, Kayla. The sixth season chronicles his relationship struggles with girlfriend Yorma Hernandez and his flings with Cardi B and Rose.

Former

• Jim Jones (Seasons 1-2) is a rapper and fianc of Chrissy Lampkin. He is of Puerto Rican and Aruban ethnicity. He is an original member of the hip-hop collective The Diplomats. The first two seasons chronicled his commitment issues and struggles with Chrissy, as well as his dramatic falling out with long-term manager Yandy. He and Chrissy left the show to appear in their own spin-off show Chrissy & Mr. Jones.
• Nancy "Mama" Jones (Seasons 1-2) is Jim Jones' mother. She is of Aruban ethnicity. The first two seasons chronicled her clashes with her daughter-in-law, Chrissy. In 2012, she released the single, "Psychotic", a diss track aimed at Chrissy. She later appears in a supporting role in the spin-off show Chrissy & Mr. Jones.
• Maurice Aguilar (Seasons 1-2) is introduced to the show as Somaya's manager. The first two seasons document their tensions until he is dramatically fired early into the second season.
• Mashonda Tifrere (Season 1) is introduced to the show as Emily's friend. She is an R&B singer and ex-wife of Swizz Beatz, who famously left her for Alicia Keys. She has a son by him, Kaseem. She appears as a mentor to Emily, warning her about the dangers of dating men in the industry.
• Teairra Mar (Season 2) is introduced to the show as Emily's friend. She is an R&B/Pop singer, previously signed to Def Jam Recordings under the mentorship of Jay Z. She later appears as a main cast member of Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood.
• Joe Budden (Seasons 3-4) is a rapper. The third and fourth season focused on his substance abuse issues and romantic troubles, including his turbulent relationships with Tahiry and Kaylin. The three later appeared together on VH1's Couples Therapy.
• Consequence (Season 3) is a rapper and Jen the Pen's longtime boyfriend. He is Muslim and has a son, Caiden. He sparked controversy and criticism when he wrote a song for Lore'l which included the lyrics "light skin is the right skin".
• Lore'l (Season 3) is a rapper. She is of Puerto Rican and African American descent, born and raised in Brooklyn. The third season documents her attempts to kickstart her music career, amid ongoing feuds with Erica Mena and Winter.
• Kaylin Garcia (season 3) is introduced as Joe Budden's girlfriend. They break up later when Joe reunites with his ex, Tahiry. Kaylin later appears with Joe as a cast member of Couples Therapy.
• Mendeecees Harris (Season 3, 5-6) (cameo appearances in season 4) is an entertainment manager and husband of Yandy Smith. He has four children, Lil Mendeecees, Aasim, Omere and Skylar. The series chronicled his legal issues and custody battles with his baby mama Samantha and her mother Kim. He married Yandy in 2015 and their marriage ceremony was performed live on VH1 in the special Love & Hip Hop Live: The Wedding. In 2016, he was sentenced to eight years in prison for drug trafficking and is currently incarcerated.
• Saigon (Season 4) is a rapper and father of Erica Jean's son, Brian Steven. The fourth season documented their struggles with raising their child, who is revealed to have developmental disabilities. He later appeared with Erica on an episode of Iyanla: Fix My Life.
• Nya Lee (Season 4) is a rapper, urban model and video vixen. In the fourth season, she is working as a stripper when she ignites a rivalry with Erica Mena.
• Andre "Chink Santana" Parker (Season 5) is introduced to the show as Chrissy Monroe's boyfriend. He is a rapper and record producer from Washington, D.C.. The fifth season chronicled their relationship issues.
• Diamond Strawberry (Season 5) is introduced to the show as Cisco's girlfriend. She is the daughter of baseball player Darryl Strawberry and has ambitions of being a model. In the fifth season, she moves to New York from Los Angeles to pursue her career and a serious relationship with Cisco. They break up when it is revealed she kept her daughter, Mylisa, secret from him. She later has a fling with Rich Dollaz, igniting a rivalry with Jhonni Blaze.
• Precious Paris (Season 5) is a rapper, singer and performer. She is introduced to the show as Rich Dollaz's new artist. She feuds with Jhonni Blaze throughout the fifth season.
• Jhonni Blaze (Season 5) is an urban model, video vixen, singer and performer. She is from Houston, Texas, where she worked as a stripper. She claims to be able to play 6 different instruments, sing and rap. She rose to fame in 2014 for filing a police report against the rapper Drake for claiming his entourage threatened her life. The fifth season chronicled her turbulent relationship with Rich Dollaz and her feuds with Diamond Strawberry and Precious Paris.
• Yorma Hernandez (Season 6) is introduced to the show as DJ Self's girlfriend. They break up later in the sixth season, due to his infidelity with Cardi B and Rose.
• Rose (Season 6) is a stylist. She has a fling with DJ Self, igniting a feud with Yorma.

Production

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 21, 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. 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.

On December 4, 2012, VH1 announced that the third season would debut on January 7, 2013. The new season featured a predominantly new cast with a few cast members from previous seasons. Season 3 premiered on January 7, 2013.

On October 10, 2013, it was announced that the series' fourth season would premiere on October 28, 2013, with K. Michelle, Erica Jean, Tara Wallace, and Amina Buddafly joining the cast.

On January 30, 2014, VH1 announced the fifth season renewal of Love & Hip Hop with production beginning in late 2014. The fifth season added new cast members: Diamond Strawberry, Cisco Rosado, Chink Santana, Chrissy Monroe, Precious Paris and Jhonni Blaze. They joined returning cast members: Yandy Smith, Mendeecees Harris, Erica Mena, Rich Dollaz, Cyn Santana, Amina Buddafly, Tara Wallace, and Peter Gunz.

On November 2, 2015, VH1 announced the sixth season of the series will premiere on December 14, 2015 with new cast members: Remy Ma, Papoose, Young B., Mariah Lynn, "BBOD" Duo Rappers: SexxyLexxy and MissMoeMoney, Cardi B., DJ Self, and Yorma. They joined returning cast members: Yandy Smith-Harris, Mendeecees Harris, Rich Dollaz, Amina Buddafly, Tara Wallace, Peter Gunz, Cisco Rosado, and Rashidah Ali.

Episodes

Season		Episodes	Season Premiere	Season Finale	Reunion	Specials
	1	9	March 6, 2011	May 2, 2011	May 16, 2011
	2	11	November 14, 2011	January 23, 2012		February 6, 2012
	3	14	January 7, 2013	April 1, 2013	April 8, 2013 April 15, 2013
	4	14	October 28, 2013	January 27, 2014	February 3, 2014 February 10, 2014
	5	18	December 15, 2014	March 30, 2015	April 6, 2015 April 13, 2015	May 25, 2015
	6	14	December 14, 2015	March 7, 2016	March 21, 2016 March 28, 2016

Season 1 (2011)

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Season 2 (2011-12)

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Season 3 (2013)

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Season 4 (2013-14)

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Season 5 (2014-15)

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Season 6 (2015-16)

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