VH1’s “Love & Hip-Hop” legacy cast member, Safaree, is taking the high road.
In September, the mother of the rapper’s children and ex-wife, Erica Mena, caught heat from “Love & Hip-Hop” fans for calling Spice a racial slur. The incident led Mena to be let go from the reality TV show.
During the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards, Zoey Brinxx of “LHH: Miami” spoke with rolling out to address the recent events.
“I felt like it shouldn’t have been aired and they should protect the feelings of certain people,” Brinxx said. “But I don’t think they should protect racist comments.”
Rapper and reality star, Safaree, also shared his thoughts on Mena as well as other topics.
What are you looking forward to most tonight?
I’m just looking forward to seeing great energy, good performances, and just everybody uplifting each other. Fifty years of hip-hop is a big deal. A lot of people who were here in the beginning are not here now, so we just have to represent [them].
Is the entertainment industry blurring the lines between a reality star and a music artist?
I feel like people see it for how they want to see it. People can know what it is, but at the end of the day, they’re going to go with whatever narrative is more entertaining. A lie is always more entertaining than the truth.
Why should celebrities share real moments with their fans?
Everybody just needs to know, don’t base people’s Instagram or what you see on TV [as] their real lives. I will never forget my first two and a half years on TV, I didn’t even have a place to live. I didn’t have a car and I wasn’t making [any] bread like that. Sean [Kingston] held me down and I don’t know why I did that. It was so random. It’s like six or seven years later, but I just felt like I needed to do it.
What are your thoughts regarding Erica Mena being kicked off “Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta?”
I just want to say at the end of the day, I feel like we need to focus on being productive, constructive and not destructive. A lot of times people ask, “How are you?” Then sometimes people say things could be worse, but why not say things could be better?
Which new artists are you looking forward to performing tonight?
I’m just open to seeing everybody [perform].
