“Love and Hip Hop Atlanta” reminded me of the first season of “Basketball Wives.” I remember thinking (then), This is very entertaining! Unlike “BBW” it doesn’t seem to be lacking a plot and giving us puppeteered scenes and situations. 


The good: Not only are there Black women on the show, they’re brown-toned beautiful—no matter how flawed—women at that. 


The bad: Nothing yet. There’s lots-o-drama, but you have to recognize that you’re watching television. You shouldn’t have a problem seeing real issues on the screen if they’re done tastefully. If you haven’t watched the show yet, it comes on VH1 and you can catch full episodes online at VH1.com.

There are a lot of people on this show. Here’s my breakdown of the series opener:

-Mimi-

Mimi had the most drama with her boyfriend of 15 years, Stevie J. You read that right: BOYFRIEND. They have a two-year old daughter together, who he apparently has NO interest in spending time with. I knew something was wrong the minute she said they’d been together for 15 years but she wasn’t his wife. I like Mimi so far. She’s a pretty chic with a real personality. Her only downfall at this point is being a fool in love and not loving herself. I tweeted that I was going to start packaging and selling self-esteem so that I could send Ms. Mimi a tub. She needs it. She’s too cute and loyal to be sticking to a dude who is blatantly disrespectful in real life and on camera.

-Ariane-

I don’t know if she is just the Robin to Mimi’s Batman or what, but that appears to be the case. She’s the typical friend that sees the problem, hates the man and wants her girl to do better. So far so good.

-Joseline-

I IMMEDIATELY became confused as soon as she started speaking. I was wondering why her English was so bad. Why does she sound Hispanic but have a nappy wig on? I must confess those alleged rumors about her really being a man began spinning through my head. She’s not very womanly. It’s one thing to be rough around the edges, but it’s like, there’s something really unnatural about “her.” Already, I’ll say she’s the worst kind of person. She knows Stevie J (Mimi’s boyfriend) is in a relationship, but during all of her confessionals and time with him she speaks as if they are an item, saying things like they’ll be together forever and that he f*cks her mind. I also feel that she came pretty recklessly at Mimi and—in the words of Tami Roman—"where I’m from" that would have gotten her two to the body, one to the head. She’s narcissistic, completely out-of-line and I’m willing to bet talentless. (I’m just saying, there’s a reason we didn’t see her in a studio singing). P.S. She used to be a stripper. P.S.S. She still acts like one.

-Erica-

Lil’ Scrappy’s baby mama/girl. She seems to have a decent mindset. However, she’s already played herself by taking him back after he was cheated on by the girl he cheated on HER with. She’s slightly insecure about why he’s with her too. I know men say women choose, but it seems like she’s looking for him to convince her of why they should be together. I’m more concerned about why she chose to take him back. 

-Mama Dee-

Lil’ Scrappy’s mama is off the chain. I saw something on Twitter yesterday about her trying to outdo Frankie (Keyshia Cole’s mama) but I don’t think that’s the case. I think black mamas are just crazy. Mama Dee, Frankie, Jim Jones’ mama; they just have some flare to them: “In that order!”

-Rasheeda-

Didn’t have much going on. Her makeup was kind of caked on in the scene with her and K.Michelle. It made me nervous (lol). I think she’s a pretty girl and it’ll be interesting to see where her storyline goes.

-K.Michelle-

K.Michelle is a singer (kind of sounds like the old Keyshia Cole) most known for her song “Fallin’.” Wiki says she’s 26 but she looks at least 10 years older. Hard knock life, I guess. She just got out of a very bad relationship with her ex-record exec who beat her and stole money from her recording budget. Though I understand the situation, I don’t want to see her crying about it every week. I’m just saying. I think she has a good storyline but she’s gonna have to let the past go.

-Karlie-

Karlie is the “Susie” of the bunch. Although she said she and Mimi were friends and that Mimi is her girl, she seemed to be enjoying telling Mimi that Stevie J was Joseline’s man. I don’t know if there were some deleted scenes, but I don’t recall Stevie J and Joseline kissing in front of them (not that it would have mattered because all of their interaction was downright out-of-line anyway). She’s a shit-starter though and her face is weird.

-Lil Scrappy-

Not much to say; I definitely think he got back with Erica on some rebound stuff and his mama prevents him from being a man.

-Stevie J-

Your typical coon: chasing money, fame, refusing to act his age and adjust to the reality of his life, disrespectful, uses his “charm” to connive women, not a loyal bone in his body and quite frankly deserves whatever happens to him. (In that order!)