Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta is an American reality television series that premiered on VH1 on June 18, 2012 and concluded on MTV on May 19, 2026. The series chronicles the lives of several people in Atlanta involved with hip hop music, and features appearances from notable figures associated with Southern hip hop.
Atlanta is the second installment of the Love & Hip Hop franchise, and its longest-running spin-off. It would surpass the episode count of the original Love & Hip Hop: New York by the time of its ninth season in March 2020. In April 2023, it was announced that the series would move to MTV beginning with its eleventh season on June 13, 2023.
Series synopsis Overview and casting
Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta is a "docu-soap" that revolves around the everyday lives of women and men in hip hop's "dirty south". The first seasons focus on the personal and professional struggles of six women, two of which are known as girlfriends of famous R&B artists and rappers, and the other four are aspiring recording artists. Subsequent seasons expanded to include DJs and radio personalities, stylists, video vixens, glamour models, groupies and socialites. The show has a sprawling supporting cast, consisting mostly of men in the industry, who (in most cases) share the same amount of screen time and storyline focus as the show's leads.
Seasons 1–6 The original cast lineup consisted of Joseline Hernandez, Erica Dixon, Rasheeda, K. Michelle, Karlie Redd and Mimi Faust, with Stevie J, Lil Scrappy, Scrappy's mother Momma Dee, Mimi's best friend Ariane Davis, Rasheeda's husband Kirk Frost, Benzino and Flavor of Loves Shay Johnson rounding out the supporting cast. All cast members returned for a second season, with the addition of radio personality Traci Steele and her former boyfriend DJ Babey Drew. During the season's reunion special, K. Michelle announced that she was leaving the show to join the cast of Love & Hip Hop: New York.
Traci and Drew were fired from the show, and season three saw the addition of Waka Flocka Flame, his long time girlfriend Tammy Rivera and his mother Deb Antney. Waka and Tammy eloped during filming. Other new cast members included Yung Joc, Kalenna Harper and her husband Tony Vick, Scrappy's girlfriend Bambi Benson, actress Erica Pinkett, booking agent Dawn Heflin and Benzino's girlfriend Althea Heart. Shay Johnson filmed scenes for the season but after a violent altercation during filming, in which she cracked a bottle over a woman's face in a night club brawl, she was removed from the cast and her scenes were left on the cutting room floor. The show's outrageous storylines and scandals throughout season three, particularly Mimi and Nikko's sex tape, Benzino's non-fatal shooting and Joseline and Stevie's allegedly drug-addled behavior at the reunion, drew the highest ratings in the franchise's history and made its cast members tabloid fixtures.
The fallout from the violence of season three's reunion, in which Stevie and Joseline interrupted filming and got into a brawl with Benzino and Althea onstage, saw the removal of Benzino and Althea from the cast, after allegedly making death threats as well as Tammy, who was also attacked by Joseline during taping, who announced that she and Waka were leaving the show to star in their own spin-off show Meet The Flockas. Although there was talk of suspending or even firing Stevie and Joseline for their behaviour at the reunion, season four saw Stevie J finally being promoted to the main cast after appearing in every episode prior as a supporting cast member, and Joseline ended up being absent only from the season's premiere episode. New cast members included Jessica Dime, a stripper-turned-rapper who shares a past with Joseline, Nikko's ex-wife Margeaux Simms, Yung Joc's girlfriend Khadiyah Lewis and his baby mama Sina Bina, aspiring singer Ashley Nicole, Tiffany Foxx and Momma Dee's ex-husband Ernest Bryant (who she remarried during filming). PreMadonna, an entrepreneur known for her waist trainer company, appeared in a supporting role for two episodes. Towards the end of the season, Tammy Rivera returned for three episodes in a supporting role.
After four seasons, Erica Dixon quit the series, calling it "mentally and physically draining". Season five saw the return of Tammy Rivera to the main cast after a season's absence, along with original cast member K. Michelle, who returned from the fourth episode onwards. Season five saw the addition of the controversial King family, which included "momager" Karen "KK" King, her rapper sons Scrapp DeLeon and Sas, Scrapp's girlfriend Tommie Lee and his baby mama Tiarra Becca. Other new cast members included Grammy Award-winning songwriter D. Smith, who became the first openly transgender castmate in the show's history, singer Betty Idol, Mimi's girlfriend Chris Gould, who would reveal his identity as a trans man in an episode near the end of season, Lyfe Jennings, Rasheeda's mother Shirleen Harvell, Kirk's daughter Kelsie Frost, radio personality J-Nicks and stripper Amber Priddy. One of season five's leading storylines was Joseline and Tommie's intense feud, which culminated in an off-camera incident in which Tommie attempted to run down Joseline with her car. In an effort to curb cast violence, the season's reunion format was changed so that the cast would film interviews separately and in small groups, without an audience. After appearing infrequently throughout the season and barely interacting with the cast, K. Michelle confirmed shortly after taping that she had again quit the show.
Despite pending legal issues relating to her incident with Joseline, season six saw Tommie promoted to the main cast. One of the season's leading storylines involved Rasheeda discovering that her husband Kirk had been unfaithful and had a secret baby with stripper Jasmine Washington. Jasmine became part of the show's cast, along with her lovers Rod Bullock and Keanna Arnold, who she is involved in a polyamorous relationship with. Other new cast members included club promoter Melissa Scott, social media personality and nail technician Lovely Mimi, beauty shop owner Sierra Gates, her assistant Moriah Lee and her husband Shooter Gates, aspiring radio personality Tresure Price, aspiring singer Estelita Quintero, Stevie J's daughter Savannah Jordan and Tommie's mother Samantha. Rapper Gunplay appeared as a supporting cast member for one episode, his appearance serving as a teaser for the spin-off Love & Hip Hop: Miami, which would premiere a few months later. Production on the season became increasingly troubled, with later episodes showing scenes of Joseline Hernandez and Kirk Frost breaking the fourth wall to express their displeasure with the producers. Behind the scenes during the reunion taping on June 1, 2017, tensions between Joseline, Mona Scott-Young and the other producers exploded, with Joseline announcing that she had quit the show after six seasons.
Seasons 7–10
Season seven saw the promotion of Jessica Dime to the main cast after appearing as a supporting cast member for three seasons, and the return of Erica Mena to the franchise, who previously appeared on Love & Hip Hop: New York for four seasons. Tammy Rivera left the cast to star in her own spin-off Meet the Flockas with Waka, but would make guest appearances throughout the season. New cast members include Jessica's fiancé Shawne Williams, Grammy Award winning songwriter Sean Garrett, Jamaican recording artist Spice, singer Just Brittany, rappers Tokyo Vanity, BK Brasco and Tabius Tate, music executive Keely the Boss and her promoter boyfriend K. Botchey. After a two-year absence, Erica Dixon returned as a supporting cast member. Love & Hip Hop: New York star Rich Dollaz would make a special crossover appearance in the last episodes of the season. During filming, Jessica Dime publicly criticised Mona Scott-Young for passing on a proposed wedding special starring her and Shawne. Subsequently, she was phased out of the show and did not attend the season's reunion.
On October 18, 2018, Tommie was arrested for allegedly attacking her daughter at her high school while heavily intoxicated. On January 3, 2019, while facing up to 54 years behind bars for the crime, Tommie confirmed that she would not be returning to the show. Spice, Scrapp DeLeon and Yung Joc would be promoted to the main cast for season eight, after appearing in previous seasons as supporting cast members. T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustles Shekinah Anderson, rapper Akbar V, socialite Pooh Hicks, Che Mack, Joc's fiancé Kendra Robinson and Love & Hip Hop: Hollywoods Moniece Slaughter would join the supporting cast, while Bambi's mother Cece Shaw and salon owner Sharonda Official would appear in minor supporting roles.
After appearing as a supporting cast member in every season prior, Scrappy was finally promoted to the main cast for season nine, along with Sierra Gates, who has been a supporting cast member for three seasons. New cast members would include Alexis Skyy, LightSkinKeisha, Ki'yomi Leslie and Scrapp's sister Cheyenne Robinson, with Love & Hip Hop: New Yorks Erica Mena and Safaree Samuels making special crossover appearances during the season.
After over a year long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show was retooled for season ten, with the promotion of Kirk Frost, Erica Mena and Safaree to the main cast, and the addition of rappers Yung Baby Tate and Omeretta the Great, along with Love & Hip Hop: New Yorks Yandy Smith-Harris and Mendeecees Harris. The show's couples – Rasheeda and Kirk, Erica and Safaree, Yandy and Mendeecees – are credited together in the opening credits. Karlie Redd, Scrappy and Joc were demoted to supporting cast, along with new cast members Renni Rucci, Kirk and Rasheeda's son Ky Frost, Yandy's foster daughter Infinity and mother-in-law Judy Harris (who previously appeared on Love & Hip Hop: New York), Karlie's daughter Jasmine and Joc's son Amoni (who previously appeared on Family Reunion: Love & Hip Hop Edition), Sierra's boyfriend Eric Whitehead and Spice's boyfriend Justin Budd. Original cast members Mimi Faust and Stevie J were removed from the show entirely, along with Scrapp DeLeon. The season continued a year later without Yung Baby Tate and Omeretta, and with the return of Joc and Scrappy to the opening credits, alongside Joc's fiancé Kendra and Scrappy's wife Bambi. Mimi returned in a supporting role for two episodes, at the end of the season.
Seasons 11–13 On April 11, 2023, it was reported that the series would move to MTV for its eleventh season, which premiered on June 13, 2023, airing now on Tuesday nights and was once again retooled. New cast members Amy Luciani, Erica Banks and Jessica White are added to the opening credits, while Kirk, Mendeecees, Safaree, Scrappy, Joc and Kendra were demoted to supporting cast members. Former Love & Hip Hop: Miami cast member Khaotic is added to the supporting cast. Erica Dixon returns as a supporting cast member after another two-year absence. Rapper Diamond appears in a minor supporting role throughout the season.
On September 2, 2023, MTV announced that Mena won't be featured in the second half of season 11 due to the use of racial slurs in a heated exchange with Spice. The second half of the season returned on January 9, 2024, with Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood ZellSwag and rapper Saucy Santana, who previously appeared on Love & Hip Hop: Miami, to the supporting cast.
In April 2024, MTV renewed the series for a twelfth season, which premiered on July 23, 2024. Yandy, Amy, Erica Banks and Jessica were demoted to supporting cast members, while Karlie Redd, Joc and Scrappy were added back to the opening credits along with Santana being promoted to the main cast, after appearing in the previous season in a supporting role. New cast members Lil Zane, Ashley, Ralo, Missy, Blacc Zacc, Xzavia Thomas and Kai join the supporting cast.
Cast timeline