A little rain couldn’t stop the show; the Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta launch party, hosted by Hip Hop Weekly Magazine at Frank Ski’s Entertainment Restaurant & Lounge was still a full house.
Reports HHW correspondent Stephanie Smith:
V103′s Egypt acted as emcee for the night and led a Q&A session where members of the media asked the cast and executive producer Mona Scott-Young what they could expect from the season. Scott-Young called the show a journey and said she wanted to convey the struggles of people who are on their way in the industry.
Keeping true to the franchise, she felt Atlanta—the hip-hop mecca of the south, was the best place to show these struggles. “It’s not about the big names” she said, “It’s about the best stories.” Larger than life personality Cadillac Kimberly made a brief appearance during the Q&A and caused a minor stir by questioning the gender of cast member Joseline Hernandez.
Judging from the audience’s positive reaction to the screening it looks like this season will be ratings gold. People cheered, gasped in shock, provided running commentary via phone to their friends (at least the guy next to me did). I don’t blame him though, the first episode alone was messy enough to reveal a love triangle that will no doubt haunt the whole season and ruin friendships…
And then there’s Mama Dee; ex-pimp (yes literally) and mother of rapper Lil’ Scrappy who is also a member of the cast, along with the mother of his daughter. Let me just say Mama Dee is a force—imagine Frankie and Mama Jones on steroids; she is destined to be the shows breakout star. In the first episode alone she gives us such gems as “I shoulda put that bitch out on the track to make me some money.” Said gem was in reference to Diamond, former Crime Mobb member and ex-girlfriend of Lil’ Scrappy.
Cast member K. Michelle opened up about an abusive past relationship that hurt her career—the alleged abuser also played a huge role in her getting a record deal. She chose not to reveal his name which I thought was strange because his name has been revealed in the media on past occasions. Perhaps she didn’t want to deal with legal ramifications of actually accusing him on camera or maybe she didn’t want to shift the focus from her career. A lot of the ladies said they wanted to use the show as a platform to strengthen their brands, if that’s her intention then it’s smart of her not to dwell on the past.
Following the screening, one of the stars of the series; singer/producer Stevie J. took to the stage with rapper Benzino, who will also be featured on the show throughout the season. The duo performed with their band The Magnificent 757′s. It’s not a party without live music and Hip Hop Weekly nailed it with this group. The live band concept was a huge hit with guests and cast members alike and The Magnificent 757′s lived up to their name, wowing the crowd and getting guests out onto the dance floor.
Lil’ Scrappy, Derek J., Frank Ski and HHW’s CEO Dave Mays also made appearances. At the end of the night hosts Hip Hop Weekly made sure every guest left with a gift bag featuring copies of the magazine and other hip-hop related exclusive gifts.
Pics via Freddyo.com
Leave a Reply