Love & Hip Hop: Miami

Development

Producers first floated the idea of a Love & Hip Hop spinoff in Miami back in 2012, but they went with Atlanta instead. Stefan Springman later explained on the special Love & Hip Hop: Dirty Little Secrets that while they found interesting people there, it just wasn't the right fit. A few episodes from the second season of Love & Hip Hop: New York were shot in Miami, meant to launch a spinoff featuring Teairra Marí and Erica Mena. On July 4, 2014, Scott-Young said the franchise was looking at other cities, including Miami.

Rapper Trina revealed on November 20, 2014, that she had passed on an offer to join Love & Hip Hop: Miami. By February 28, 2016, reports said spinoffs in Miami and Houston were in pre-production, with casting auditions underway. In April 2016, Trick Daddy and Trina confirmed they were on board, even though Trina had previously said no. Filming was supposed to start in May 2016, with Trick’s story focusing on managing his artists Mike Smiff and PreMadonna from Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.

Plies, Brianna Perry, and PreMadonna’s husband Buck Thomas were also reported as cast members, but their footage was cut during the nearly two-year development and filming process. On April 20, 2017, after more than a year of delays, producers got the green light to start filming in South Florida.

At some point, they asked Gucci Mane and his fiancée Keyshia Ka'oir to join, but the couple declined to film a wedding special for BET. On May 8, 2017, Gunplay appeared on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, sparking rumors that it was a setup for the Miami show. Finally, on August 25, 2017, VH1 announced that Love & Hip Hop: Miami would premiere on January 1, 2018.

Series synopsis

Love & Hip Hop: Miami follows the ups and downs of rappers, singers, and socialites navigating Miami’s music industry. Its cast stands out for its racial and economic diversity, mirroring the city itself. The show features a large supporting cast that gets nearly as much screen time and storyline attention as the main stars. The first episode tackles colorism and eurocentrism in the Latin community, showing light-skinned producer Young Hollywood criticizing dark-skinned singer Amara La Negra’s afro.

The original main cast included Trina, Trick Daddy, Gunplay, Amara La Negra, Veronica Vega, Bobby Lytes, Prince, and Shay Johnson. Supporting players in season one were Steph Lecor, Young Hollywood, Keyara Stone, Pleasure P, Baby Blue Whoaaaa, Miami Tip, Joy Young, Jojo Zarur, Jeffrey White, Malik Williams, DJ Michelle Pooch, Liz Cifuentes, Gabby Davis, Chinese Kitty, and Chinese Nicky. Minor roles went to Mami Ana and Faride Nemer. Crossover appearances came from Love & Hip Hop: New York’s Juju C. and Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta’s Lil Scrappy.

On November 19, 2018, VH1 announced nearly all cast members would return for season two, with Jojo moving to the main cast. New supporting additions included Jessie Woo, Khaotic, and Spectacular. During filming, Khaotic made news for his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run.

Reception

Ebony commended the series and Afro-Latina cast member Amara La Negra for sparking discussions around misogynoir and the lack of representation for Black Latinas in mainstream media, expressing hope that the franchise would pursue a more thoughtful path. Billboard named La Negra the show’s breakout talent, and she secured a multi-album contract with BMG just hours after the first episode aired. Some observers credit La Negra’s looks with boosting the program’s viewership.

Not everyone in Miami was impressed, though. Khia and TS Madison panned the show on their web series The Queen’s Court, likening it to a telenovela and slamming its casting and production quality; Khia remarked that “they had everything bad but a bad bitch on there.” The debut episode pulled in 1.8 million viewers, giving VH1 its strongest launch since Hip Hop Squares the year before. Overall ratings have lagged behind earlier installments, a problem blamed on erratic scheduling—season two bounced through several time slots before landing on Monday nights after Love & Hip Hop: New York.