Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta season 5

Production

VH1 confirmed on March 8, 2016, that the fifth season of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta would premiere on April 4, 2016. A five-minute super-trailer dropped on March 28, 2016. The season introduced a completely fresh opening credits sequence. Almost the entire main cast from the prior season returned, except for Erica Dixon, who left the show.

Tammy Rivera rejoined the main cast after missing the previous season, and original cast member K. Michelle came back starting with the fourth episode, "Blackmail." Though she received credit in every episode afterward, Michelle had few appearances, no significant storylines, and little interaction with the other cast members. The supporting cast expanded to include Lyfe Jennings, Rasheeda’s mother Shirleen Harvell, "momager" Karen "KK" King, her son Scrapp DeLeon, Scrapp’s girlfriend Tommie Lee, his baby mama Tiarra Becca, Mimi’s partner Chris Gould, Grammy-winning songwriter D. Smith, and her best friend Betty Idol.

Minor supporting roles went to Kirk’s daughter Kelsie Frost, Scrapp’s brother Sas, radio personality J-Nicks, and stripper Amber Priddy. D. Smith made history as the first openly transgender cast member on the show. Near the end of the season, Gould disclosed his identity as a trans man. Several episodes included public service announcements intended to assist viewers dealing with gender identity issues.

The fourteenth episode, "Confessions," took place in Los Angeles and featured crossovers with Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood and K. Michelle: My Life, with guest appearances from Lil Fizz, Nikki Mudarris, and Jonathan Fernandez. For the first time, the season skipped the usual reunion special filmed onstage in New York before a live audience. Instead, the cast recorded separately or in smaller groups at a mansion in Atlanta, Georgia, because of safety concerns for the cast and crew following a violent conflict between Joseline and Tommie that involved police.

Synopsis

Season 5 of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta begins with the King family trying to stay united while Scrapp DeLeon faces a lengthy prison sentence. Mimi surprises the other women by introducing her new boyfriend, Chris. Karlie grows uneasy in her relationship with Lyfe, suspecting he is hiding things from her. Meanwhile, Scrappy and Joc are living it up as single men. Tammy deals with the backlash from Waka’s remarks about the trans community when she runs into D. Smith and Betty Idol. Stevie J and Joseline come back from their time in Hollywood, but their relationship is unstable. The season and its reunion format got mixed reactions from viewers and critics. Writer Michael Arceneaux said it was “not up to par,” blaming the focus on new cast members “whose problems I didn’t care about.”

Cast

Mimi Faust appears in 17 episodes, Rasheeda in 15, Karlie Redd in 15, Tammy Rivera in 12, K. Michelle in 7, Joseline Hernandez in 14, Stevie J in 16, Yung Joc in 13, Karen King in 12, Scrapp DeLeon in 12, Lil Scrappy in 14, Momma Dee in 12, Tommie Lee in 16, Jessica Dime in 14, Tiarra Becca in 13, Chris Gould in 8, Ariane Davis in 10, Kirk Frost in 12, D. Smith in 8, Betty Idol in 10, Bambi Benson in 11, Waka Flocka Flame in 2, Deb Antney in 4, Lyfe Jennings in 5, Kelsie Frost in 6, Dawn Heflin in 8, Shirleen Harvell in 8, Ernest Bryant in 7, Sas in 11, J-Nicks in 8, and Amber Priddy in 3.

Scrappy's assistant Taylor Hall and Tammy's friend Shod Santiago appear as guest stars in several episodes. Minor appearances include T-Pain, Bu Thiam, Bobby V, Chaz Gotti, Katt Williams, CeeLo Green, Faith Evans, Tony Rock, Russell Simmons, Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood's Lil' Fizz and Nikki Mudarris, K. Michelle: My Life's Jonathan Fernandez, Fly Dantoni, Deelishis, and Young Dro.