Oh, Love & Hip Hop. Will you ever go back to just being a reality show, or are we going to have to watch this scripted soap opera interspersed with some R & B videos? It's so bad, but yet I can't turn away…and not just because I blog about it. There is no doubt that I'd be watching it anyway. It's so bad, it's good, and last night's episode was no exception.
We begin as Rich Dollaz is meeting with Yandy Smith to get some advice on his relationship with Erica Mena. She chastises him for mixing business with pleasure, and teases him for blushing when he talks about Erica. Rich wants Erica to learn how to control her temper excitement, and he wishes that Olivia Longott would do the record as a personal favor. Yandy reminds him that even though he and Liv are friends, it's understandable that she wouldn't want to have to share him as a manager. Rich tries to convince Yandy that even though Erica is all kinds of crazy, she has good intentions. Yandy agrees to go to lunch with Erica to see if she can reign her in a bit. Rich is appreciative, and he wants Yandy's honest opinion as to how he should proceed in the relationship…if at all.
Tahiry Jose is cooking steak and beans for Joe Budden to reward him for the clean drug test. Now she believes she can somewhat trust what Joe has to say. She apologizes for not believing that he's been sober. Joe is about to go on tour, and Tahiry reminds him to call her if he feels the urge to fall off the wagon. In his absence, Tahiry plans to work on her recording career. She is always nervous to talk about her music with Joe because she respects him so much as an artist. Joe doesn't doubt that she'll accomplish her goals, but he also thinks that not everyone is cut out for the industry. She invites him to come to come to one of her studio sessions. Joe jokingly tells Tahiry that as much as he knows she wants him to spend the night, he's got an early morning. Classy guy.
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Jen and Raqi Thunda are meeting with a radio executive so they can pitch their hip-hop radio show. He is open to hearing them out, but he's not necessarily looking for anyone to do a new show. Raqi promises that Jen's whiteness will counteract any of Raqi's potential wrongs. Jen is slightly taken aback by that statement…but only because she doesn't think anything will be able to right Raqi's crude tongue. The plan for the show is do an interactive Internet stream. The exec warns them not to flirt with or bed any of the hip-hop artists. After Rashinda Ali called out Raqi last week for sleeping around in the industry, Jen is starting to wonder if her new friend may have a bit of a reputation. He doesn't want Raqi to act like a total bimbo, or he'll yank her off the show before it even starts. Raqi assures him that she's grown up, but he doesn't seem convinced.
Yandy is meeting with Erica, and she tries to explain away her behavior at Yandy's event. Then, out of the blue, she starts crying about an abusive ex-boyfriend. Oh, she's also drinking her wine with a straw. Yandy feels badly for Erica, but she reminds her that no one wants to work with someone who could fly off the handle at a moment's notice. Erica promises she'll try to be better.
Tahiry is dining with Rashidah and Winter, and she reveals that she made Joe take a drug test. Winter accuses her of still being in love with Joe. Her friends think she's backsliding. She admits that Joe is going to help her with her album. In fact, Tahiry has already written a song…and it's about Joe. Her friends have had it with her relationship drama, and they tell her she's going to get hurt again. Tahiry is convinced she'll be able to separate her feelings better this time around.
Amir is such a precious baby. Yandy and Mendeecees are having a family photo shoot, and Medeecees is not thrilled when Yandy's mom arrives. What if he wants his mom in the pictures as well? Yandy's mom lets it slip that she and her husband are moving to New Jersey, and Yandy is going to move with her. Mendeecees is livid. Didn't he just ask her if she wanted to move in with him and she said no? He informs her that his son will not be moving to Jersey. Yandy doesn't see what the big deal is…it's not like they are married. Sneaky, sneaky. He bows out of the photo shoot and pouts that the real family is Yandy, her mom, and Amir.
In order to move forward, Rich has big plans for Erica's birthday. Over dinner, she apologizes for her behavior at the studio, but she does want Rich to make her career a priority. They start discussing which record she should do. Originally, Erica wanted to do a wild club song, but now she wants to go with a ballad. Rich is worried that she needs to make more of a name for herself before she does a ballad, and he's worried other industry insiders are going to think he's crazy for allowing it to happen. Erica promises she'll bring her A-game, and he's too mesmerized by her cleavage to tell her no.
Yandy is meeting up with Kimbella (way to get that screen time, girl!) to chat about their babies and their changed lifestyles. Kimbella sides with Mendeecees for not wanting to live with her mom. She advises Yandy to sex it up for Mendeecees' birthday. She then gives the bench on which they're sitting a lap dance. It's settled. Yandy will make him a classy sex tape (Kardashian 101) that he can take on the road…or, more likely, watch in prison.
Jen and Raqi are auditioning for their radio show. Mendeecees has secured new rapper Vado for the interview. Jen is already floored at how much Raqi is flirting with their guest. She's laying it on quite thick, but she swears it's just for entertainment's sake. When Vado calls her "baby" and asks for her type, Raqi quickly rattles off a laundry list that includes, "rich, long, strong, and stamina." Jen is getting uncomfortable. Perhaps Raqi and Vado should get a room. I'm pretty sure he asked her out on a date as well.
In the studio, Erica is working on her ballad. Yandy can't believe Rich invited her to come listen…what if she bursts out laughing in front of Erica? She thinks that the ballad is a risky move. Rich believes it has the potential for big rewards though. Erica hopes she can prove herself to Yandy. Rich is thrilled that Erica actually sounds good. Erica explains to Yandy why she chose the ballad. In another studio, Tahiry drops in on Joe so he can hear her new track. As he smokes a hooka (I think…) she sings to him and rubs his thigh. VH1 should be ashamed of itself. I can't believe this is supposed to be reality television. It's nothing more than a hip hop soap opera. Joe thinks that Tahiry sounds better than he expected, and he asks if he can perform a rebuttal verse. She agrees, and Joe thinks that was a stupid decision on her part.
To appease Mendeecees for not telling him about her move, Yandy plans a candlelit dinner, complete with a trail of rose petals to the table. Gag. He actually agrees to move to Jersey if they don't live within walking distance of her mother. She asks him if he remembers the hotel where they are dining, but he doesn't. She reminds him that is was the first place they ever spent the night together. He still doesn't remember the hotel, but he does recall that he didn't get any action that night. She takes him to the bedroom and she shows him the video she's made for him. He's laughing and confused, but I think he likes it.
Jen is meeting with Raqi to express her disdain for Raqi's behavior during the radio show. She doesn't feel like Raqi was being a team player. Raqi thinks that she is doing Jen a favor by letting her ride her coat tails. Infuriated, Jen calls her a bitch, to which Raqi counters with a threat of violence. Something tells me that their radio show isn't going to happen anymore. Things get even more heated when Jen tells Raqi she should have just straddled Vado at the interview…it would have been quicker. Raqi then accuses Jen of being a white girl who got knocked up by a rapper. Jen tries to make the distinction that she and Consequence have been together for five years…that's not really just getting knocked up. Raqi is screaming at Jen, so Jen leaves which pisses off Raqi to no end. She starts yelling after Jen that Cons tried to bed her and she has texts to prove it. Jen tells her that they aren't going to work as co-hosts, but no hard feelings. Raqi seems to panic (at least that's how I took it) when Jen tells her to do the show by herself. She then remarks that she's white which makes no sense in grand scheme of the argument, but Raqi takes it to mean Jen thinks she'll get the radio gig instead of her since she's white. That didn't end well.
Next week, Raqi tells Yandy that Jen thinks she's better than her because Jen is white, and Cons has words with Raqi for accusing him of trying to sleep with her. Joe's girlfriend doesn't want Joe to perform on Tahiry's track, which makes Tahiry want to punch her in the face. Literally. She has quite a right hook! Mendeecees has issues with Yandy's trainer for taking video of her while she's exercising. His fighting skills are different from Tahiry's…he goes straight into choking.
TELL US-WHAT DID YOU THINK OF LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE? TEAM RAQI OR TEAM JEN?
[Photo Credit: VH1]
