S. Samuel
Former "Love & Hip Hop" cast member Jim Jones recently weighed in on the current buzz behind reality television shows and explained why he is not rushing to jump in front of the cameras again.
In Jimmy’s perspective, he deserves ample credit for paving a lane for hip-hop artists to do reality television.
“Rappers thought I was crazy saying, ‘Oh, you’re doing reality tv, you falling off, you just looking for a check,'” Jim explained in an interview. “And now everybody and they mama is doing the same thing that I’ve done. Literally. So, nobody’s given me no props for that now. The same people that criticized me are the same people that came to play, which I’m happy because now reality tv takes up like 60 percent of all tv or something like that — I don’t even watch my own show when it’s on tv. So I’m definitely not watching ‘Love & Hip Hop’ … I don’t know what’s going on, I read on Twitter and the blogs and stuff like that and people have been asking for [ex-cast member] Chrissy to come back and I don’t know.” (“Jenny Boom Boom”)
He also revealed how upset he gets with the way some reality television shows are portrayed these days.
“When we started this, it wasn’t really about that,” Jones said, explaining how most of the reality tv shows are based on shock value now. “It was about giving people a taste of what it is to be involved with a person like myself and a person like myself giving you a taste of what it is to see me not just in front of the camera but behind the camera and just seeing regular life and going through the same things that everybody else goes through. What we have here is nothing but a new ‘Flavor of Love.’ It’s just a bunch of Flavor Flav’s on tv and a bunch of New York. So I’m not really into that, it’s comical I guess, it’s good for a laugh but I ain’t really into that. I don’t like people laughing at me, I like people laughing with me. You know what I mean? … We not pressed to do reality tv. Although it is a great business move as far as marketing and promotions — we’re not gonna compromise who we are just for a shot at the big screen. It doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t add up. … These people are selling their souls for peanuts and it hurts my soul because it’s kind of like blaxploitation in a way, but, that’s another story.” (“Jenny Boom Boom”)
Recently, Midwest rapper Freddie Gibbs took a shot at rappers cashing in on reality television.
“I think that’s wack. I think you weak if you’re on a reality show, really,” Gibbs said when asked for his take on rappers landing starring roles in reality television shows. “You know what I mean? I think you should just do your music and do your thing and if you’re mad at me saying that, come see me.” (WGCI)
A couple years ago, Jones talked to SOHH about his “Love & Hip Hop” venture.
“‘Love & Hip-Hop’ was initially my TV show that [VH1] has been trying to do for about four years now. But for three years prior, they had been trying to get me to do this reality show and they shot a pilot. I wasn’t really feeling the pilot, because I felt the camera was too much on me and showing too much of my life as far as Jim Jones is concerned. So we had re-evaluated the situation. … My lady had an opportunity to shoot a pilot too, but the pilot she shot kind of fell through and she took interest in the whole reality show thing. So I went over to VH1 and told them if they want me to put my involvement in a TV show, or all of my involvement, they need to do a show behind her and I’ll do it. I also said I’d find a way to participate in it to make sure it’ll be a success. And that’s really how the whole show came together. They went and got Olivia, Emily and the girl Somaya. Then they put them around Chrissy and now you have ‘Love & Hip-Hop.’ Two episodes in and it’s feeling like a sitcom.” (SOHH)
Check out Jim Jones’ interview:
