'Love And Hip Hop Cast': 5 New Faces Who Could Re-energized The VHI1 Reality Show
The biggest news following the March 30th finale of the fifth season of VH1's Love & Hip Hop New York was the departure of controversial reality show starlet Erica Mena. The sharp-tongued fiancee of Shad Moss, AKA Bow Wow of CBS' freshly minted CSI franchise Cyber, dominated her run on the series starting club brawls, breaking hearts and dishing out side-eye worthy one-liners. .
Of course there was more to dissect during VH1's Love & Hip Hop NY reunion special (Monday, April 6th). Freshman spitfire Jhonni Blaze admitted that she slept with Mena's soon-to-be married boo. Things reportedly got physical on set between Jhonni, cast mate Diamond Strawberry and her mother after the stripper mentioned Diamond's daughter. Meanwhile, producers called out Love & Hip Hop's "creep of the year" Rich Dollaz for an alleged sexual escapade with Diamond, a slap in the face to his friend and Diamond's ex boyfriend.
But if we were to be truthful, Love & Hip Hop is in need of a jolt. Many of its critics have pointed out that most of the stars have little to do with hip hop and that the program has grown quite stale, as revelations have recently come out that the so-called reality show is routinely scripted. So what can producers do to give the VH1 staple a shot in the arm? Enstars nails down six personalities capable of revitalizing Love & Hip Hop New York.
Teyana Taylor
As high profile names go, ambitious singer, rapper, and dancer Taylor has all the makings of a Love & Hip Hop favorite. The Harlem native has plenty of hip hop and R&B cred as evident by her 2014 debut album VII, a project released by Def Jam and Kanye West's GOOD Music imprint. The budding fashionista has her own sneaker line which includes the limited edition "Ewing 33 Hi Aloysius Fame & War." Taylor's boyfriend is former New York Knicks guard and current Cleveland Cavaliers defensive specialist Iman Shumpert and she has the superstar likes of the aforementioned West, Chris Brown and hood favorite Yo Gotti on speed dial. Sign her up. (Photo : diehardsports.com)
Adelle Platon
A savvy pick would be the bubbly Platon, associate editor at VIBE.com. Yes, it helps that Platon is easy on the eyes, but that's just the surface. The talented journalist has interviewed everyone from Oprah Winfrey to 50 Cent and has written quite eloquently on her love of all things hip hop. She is just as deft at breaking down the lyrical intricacies of a Kendrick Lamar track as she is the pop culture gossip of the day. The smart chick for the win. (Photo : api.ning.com)
Lena Chase
Over the last four years, Lena Chase has made her, um, presence felt on the eye candy mag circuit as well in a string of music videos including Wale's "Pretty Girls, Visto's "Everything Gorgeous" and Bangladesh's "Trixx." But don't be fooled by her exotic African-American, Puerto Rican, and Trinidadian heritage and unending curves. Hailing from Washington DC, Chase is also a celebrity make-up artist (she has beautified the face of MTV's Week In Jams co-host Sofi Green) and an eclectic music head who rocks to jazz deity John Coltrane, New Orleans spitter Currensy and rock goth innovators the Cure. Nice. (Photo : hiphopwired.com)
Troy Ave
While it's unusual for Love & Hip Hop to feature a buzz-heavy artist on the rise, Troy Ave makes perfect sense. First, the burgeoning Crown Heights, Brooklyn rapper would add much needed freshness to a series that usually features music acts well past their prime. Troy's whole mantra has been proudly to wave the flag for New York hip hop. And then there's the fact that he is known for kicking up his fair share of dust. Troy Ave is simply good for business. (Photo : noisey.vice.com)
Bernice Burgos
When you are romantically linked to one of the most talked about rappers on the planet and command nearly 500,000 Instagram followers igniting chatter is not an issue. Bernice Burgos is so ridiculously gorgeous that she induced the usually closed door Drake to go all PDA. Adding the Puerto Rican stunner would be quite a coup. Make it happen. (Photo : torrentreactor.com)
