We already know it’s hard for women to make it in a man’s world on merit alone, and if anyone knows that for sure it’s Kim Osorio. The Editor-in-Chief of “The Source” and star of VH1′s latest reality TV show, “The Gossip game,” has been haunted by rumors that she mixed a lot of business and pleasure in order to get her coveted spot at the top of the masthead and that a suspect relationship with 50 Cent is where it all began.

MN decided to go straight to the source (pun intended) and see just how this hip-hop journalism staple made her way to the top of the gossip game. Check out what she had to say.

Source: VH1

Monday night, the first episode of VH1′s newest reality show, The Gossip Game debuted. When we first reported on the show, some of you expressed that you were excited about its debut, as you expected that a reality show starring seven career-driven women would offer positivity. Others revealed that they expected nothing more than another ratchet reality show with a different name, concocted in the mind of media maven, Mona Scott-Young. Considering all of the backbiting, public screaming matches and verbal assassinations that went down, the premiere episode proved that drama is to be expected this season. But is that all we can expect from the show that once offered promise of positive images of Black women on television? In a recent VH1 blog post, The Gossip Game star and host of Power 105.1′s The Breakfast Club, Angela Yee discussed the show’s first episode. In the blog, the radio personality expressed that the show was actually supposed to rise above the craziness that we’re used to seeing on other reality television programs. An excerpt from her post reads:

“Why would you agree to do a reality show? That’s the first question I get in almost every interview. It seems that everyone and their mama has a show now, or is working on a pilot for a show, or has an idea for a show that could work. There’s a stigma about reality shows and the people who star in them. Reality shows mean your career will end, your marriage will be cursed, you have to fight and/or throw a drink, or you’re going to end up broke and a has-been when the series ends. Only a slim percentage of people will go on to profit and reap the benefits.

When I interviewed Marlon Wayans, he pulled me to the side after and warned me not to get into a fight or act crazy on TV. Of course, that was never my intention. I’ve seen people “turn up” for the camera, thinking that this is the best way to maximize their platform and get more camera time. This formula works, but it’s shortsighted. When the season ends, where do you go?

The Gossip Game is supposed to defy this formula. There are 7 women who have their careers and reputations on the line. After working over 8 years in radio to build my brand, I would never want to misrepresent myself. I’ve had to deal with racism, sexism, rumors, malice, a little bit of everything. I’m used to being around men at work all the time, and dealing with a cast of women is a completely different arena.”

So far, the show doesn’t exactly appear to be much different from any other reality television show, but I suppose that could eventually change.

Did you check out The Gossip Game? What do you think of the show so far?

I’m still trying to take in the fact that Flava Flav still pulls women — multiple, ethnically diverse, somewhat youthful women — so news that the Public Enemy rapper is going to star on the next season of “Couple’s Therapy” is somewhat secondary to that first surprising point. But nvertheless, the 54-year-old and his fiancee Liz Trujillo are slated to appear on the next season of the VH1 relationship counseling show and according to reports from TMZ, they got on this show not a moment too soon.

Yesterday evening, the gossip site known for breaking news first, reported that Liz was rushed to the hospital after overdosing on pain killers. According to one of their sources:

“The OD was accidental and not a suicide attempt. We’re told she was ‘acting strange’ and it became apparent ‘she took too many pills.’

“The 39-year-old woman was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where she remains although we’re told she’ll be released soon.”

Now we’re not saying TMZ is losing their spark, but after making this report, the site came back with an update, saying:

“A rep for Flavor tells TMZ, Liz was NOT treated for an OD. The rep says Liz was briefly treated for exhaustion at the hospital after being kept awake all night doing “Couples Therapy” stuff … and producers are hyping it up for ratings.

“The rep adds, “The claim of an overdose, or any involvement of drugs, could not be further from the truth.”

Though it is possible TMZ rushed the gun, far too many celebs have used that “exhaustion” excuse when everyone knew good and well they were checking into something like a Betty Ford clinic. Unfortunately, So Hip-Hop had more disturbing news, recounting a violent situation that occurred between Flav, his alleged mistress, and Liz in October:

Flavor Flav’s fiance, Elizabeth Trujillo, tells RumorFix exclusively that the brutal attack she endured on October 17 stemmed from a fight over her fiancé cheating on her with another woman…

“Trujillo, who lives with the entertainer at his home in Las Vegas with their son Karma and her son Gibran, tells RumorFix exclusively that Flav beat her up so badly she can’t walk. She also alleges that the rapper tried to kill her 16-year-old son with a 20 inch butcher knife after Liz accused her fiancé of cheating. ‘He’s been cheating on me for months. I saw a text on his phone from a woman saying she ‘had a great time’ with him, and he was going to meet her in Vegas. [When I saw the text] I threw his phone and the screen cracked.’”

Flav was arrested and booked on two charges — felony assault with a deadly weapon and misdemeanor domestic violence — but as you can see the two apparently decided to “work things out.” Let’s just hope whatever the situation, “Couple’s Therapy” is doing more good than harm for Flavor Flav and his lady.

How can you not love T.I. and his family after two seasons of The Family Hustle? They’re absolutely hilarious, but heartwarming to watch. And despite the “KANG” persona we get to see all the time from T.I. the rapper, it’s nice to see T.I. as the father and head of his household, and doing it oh so well looking after six kids with Tiny. And in this new season of the show, which will premiere on April 8, the Harris family takes Hollywood by storm, goes on a skiing trip (and struggles big time), tries their hand at Nascar and does their usual clowning around from time to time. But a big thing happening in the new season is that the kids are testing the dating pool, including Messiah (see T.I. try and teach him how to do the yawn-and-put-your-arm-around-her move) and Zonnique–who gets the rundown that pretty much no man will ever be good enough. But surprisingly, Major (who turns five this year) and King (nine this year) have found themselves in young love already. I know, crazy right!? Check out the trailer from the new season and let us know what you think. The Harris family is back!

Will you be tuning in? If so, remember to check out the premiere on April 8, 10/9c on VH1.

Source: WENN

Jennifer Williams hasn’t exactly disappeared since opting not to return for the fifth season of “Basketball Wives” in Miami. She’s still seen out and about at virtually ever reality TV red carpet event in NYC, but one place we haven’t been seeing her is on the television — yet.

While the ex-wife of Eric Williams attended the screening for VH1′s new series, “The Gossip Game,” Jennifer let on that she’s working on a spin-off reality show of her own and since we already know how the Viacom network gets down, you should know this project has Mona Scott-Young’s name all over it.

According to VH1′s blog:

“It came as a shock to many when word got out that Jenn wouldn’t return to the fifth season of Basketball Wives. Arguably the only “real” Basketball Wife, many revered Jenn for her class and maturity on screen. When asked about her departure she simply stated, “It wasn’t for me anymore.” But does that mean she’s over television, too? Lucky for us, Jenn revealed she’s in talks with Scott-Young to create a reality show of her own, embodying the philosophy that when one door closes, another surely opens. A glimpse into her new business ventures with Lucid Cosmetics, or her relationship with new boo Cisco Rosado (who happens to be the founder of CMG entertainment) could work, especially if we see another side of Jenn– the “real” her, and we aren’t talking about Drake songs.”

This doesn’t come as a total shock as Jenn obviously loves the spotlight, and VH1 is known for trying to milk every last ounce of juice they can out of their reality TV cohorts. What would be surprising though, and I hate to say it, would be Jenn’s ability to carry a show by herself. Among the hyper personalities of the women on BBW, her chill demeanor is a welcome presence, but on her own I can see her coming off as very…boring — unless there’s some drama to be seen between her and her man. And, personally, I wouldn’t wish that on them because too many reality relationships have gone by the wayside as a result of these types of television shows.

Despite the lack of a clear vision for the new series — or a premiere date — one thing we do know is the show will not have a storyline about Jenn reuniting with her long lost buddy Evelyn Lozada. According to VH1:

“[F]or those of you who are wondering if Jenn and her former costar, Evelyn Lozada, ever became friends again… Jenn uttered not a single word when asked about their onscreen quarrel. But there was a look! And that look read “Hell to the no.”

That’s probably a good move. What do you think about Jenn getting her own reality show. Will you watch?

Source: WENN

Since her emergence on the reality television scene with the original Love & Hip Hop, Mona Scott-Young has caught a bad rap for the way that she allows women of color to be negatively portrayed on her shows. During a recent press event in Atlanta, the entrepreneur addressed those allegations, claiming that while many are disapproving of the women that she casts to be featured on her reality shows, it is not her job to judge them, reports Vibe Vixen.

“Often times people tell me how horrible it is, or how these women should go crawl under a rock. I’m not here to judge them! I think that these women are a part of our population as African Americans. They live real lives and their stories deserve to be told as much as the other stories. I encourage them to use this as a platform. I will never forget the first time I gave Joseline a check and she cried. Prior to that she has never seen her name printed on a check because she was only ever paid in dollar bills, so don’t tell me I’m not changing lives,” the Love & Hip Hop visionary said.

Mona also says that people should stop pretending that the world being portrayed on the show doesn’t exist.

“This is Love & Hip Hop. I have navigated this world for twenty years of my career so I am probably as qualified as most to talk about what happens in this world. I’ve witnessed it. I’ve experienced it. There’s no one really of this world that can say with clear conscience that this stuff does not happen or exist. So what are we saying exactly? Not that this isn’t true, but that we should sweep it under the rug and act like it don’t exist. It’s that cousin that you love at the family barbeque but you don’t wanna bring to the company picnic. Stop it!” she told Hip Hop Wired.

Would you say she makes a valid point?

If you were watching Monday’s episode of Love & Hip Hop New York, you probably watched the ordeal Mendeecees and Yandy were going through as he prepared to turn himself into Federal agents. They didn’t go into detail of why he was being investigated on the show, but as previous reports stated, it has to do with drug trafficking charges after allegedly moving drugs from 2005 to 2012 in New York. He turned himself in at the end of January, and while we couldn’t really tell if he was going in to stay or not, in an interview with VH1, Yandy confirms that he is indeed incarcerated.

The reality star and businesswoman opened up about how she’s handling things seeing as they were hoping to prepare for a wedding in the future, and how she is trying to keep their house together with two little boys by herself.

VH1: Is Mendeecees currently incarcerated?

Yandy: He is.

Vh1: How are you holding up?

Yandy: You know, it’s a hard situation, especially when you don’t have any answers yet. It’s kind of just a waiting situation to see what this is all about, and that’s the hard part – the unknown is the hardest part.

VH1: It has to be tough. You’re recently engaged. One minute you’re in pre-wedding bliss then you’re hit with this news.

Yandy: Yeah, it’s hard. It’s absolutely hard. It’s hard when you kind of see your life flash before you. I know the life that we live together which has been like a storybook, like a fairytale with ups and downs of course, but it’s been good, and the love has been good, so for something like this to happen and to happen now, it’s like, “Ugh, why!” And you know you read about it with all the articles everywhere talking about the engagement. This case is from all these years ago. It’s just like, why now? You know? That’s just how I feel, like, why now of all times?

VH1: Are you putting everything wedding related on hold?

Yandy: Oh yeah, absolutely.

VH1: How do you keep your mind occupied so you’re not worrying and sad about him not being there with his sons?

Yandy: Well, you know I go through spurts, especially at night. I just keep busy. Like I told you, I haven’t had a day off, so I don’t even know if I’ve really soaked up what’s happening in my life because I’ve just been so busy. We both were busy during the day so it really hits me at night when I come home and I’m with the boys in the house, that’s when it’s like, “Aww, dag.” But I’m really faithful and hopeful that this situation will be cleared up and he’ll be back with us soon.

I feel for Yandy, because things seemed to be on the up and up for them with the baby, him getting found not guilty with the child abuse charges, their engagement–and then this happens. But then again, these things happen when your man has a history of selling drugs, which I’m sure she knew about. Can’t get too comfortable. But let’s hope that as she says, he’ll be back soon for the sake of his family.

Check out a clip of Mendeecees saying goodbye to his family from Monday’s episode on the next page:

Source: VH1

Back in February we told you about a new reality show that would be making its VH1 debut entitled, The Gossip Game. Produced by Love & Hip Hop visionary, Mona Scott-Young, The Gossip Game promised to offer a first-hand look into the lives of media personalities and journalists working in the hip hop industry. Most assumed that drama was to be expected judging by the show’s lineup, since this is a fairly competitive industry and a few of the women on the show are actually rivals. But some also expected a level of professionalism, as these are women with thriving careers, as opposed to the wives and girlfriends of celebrities. The initial trailer to be released by the network seemed fairly calm, with only a minor implication that there would be some sort of beef between two of the cast members, but the recently released extended trailer reveals that was only the tip of the iceberg.

Twenty-three seconds into the trailer bloggers Vivian Billings and Ms. Drama are going at each other’s throats. But of course, those aren’t the only ladies who can’t see eye-to-eye. Known rivals Angela Yee and K.Foxx can also be seen throwing shots at each other. During what appears to be a lunch outing, Yee tells K.Foxx that she believes she’s “a little brainwashed,” not to mention JasFly boldly stating, “Ms. Drama is an a**hole.”

Interestingly, The Source Magazine’s EIC opens up a bit about the lawsuit that she filed against Benzino, Dave Mays and The Source back in the day; a suit in which she is said to have been awarded $8 million.

“I’m Kim Osorio and I should know. Lawsuits, rap disses, sex scandals, I’ve survived it all,” Osorio says during the trailer.

I, for one, would love to hear Kim discuss how she overcame all of that. It also appears that JasFly will at some point or another discuss what it’s like to work in a male-dominated industry and the role that sex appeal plays in the careers of female hip hop journalists.

“The more f**kable you look, the better your career will be,” she says.

There’s certainly a whole lot going on, but what would a reality show be without drama?  The Gossip Game is slated to premiere on April 1st. 

Check out the supertrailer on the next page and let us know what you think.

Instagram

Okay, hopefully we will eventually be able to file this under “glad it never happened” and move on.

But right now, Mouth to Ears is reporting that singer Brandy and her fiance Ryan Press are planning to televise their wedding.  The new kingpin of reality shows, VH1, is the alleged buyer and according to MTE’s source, they’re going to be paying for everything.

Brandy has already revealed that her daughter Sy’rai will be her maid of honor. She also recently told Hip Hollywood that while they haven’t really started planning, she envisions her hair in an inward french braid going down the side with a flower. So either she really hasn’t started planning yet or VH1 actually has gotten dibs on the show and she can’t say much.

A good piece of advice that she picked up from Niecy Nash? It isn’t about the wedding, it’s about the marriage. Brandy said she’s continuing to make sure she has the best relationship possible.

If you’ll recall – and we know you do because every time there’s a Brandy story someone in the comments brings it up – Brandy did a reality show with her “husband” Robert which followed them in their journey to the birth of their daughter. The thing we all found out was that Brandy and Robert never married and that little lie has followed her everywhere.

Brandy appears really happy with Ryan so while we’d definitely catch the show if it did come on VH1, we can probably do without a wedding special and just see pictures when they surface online.

We shall see.

Would you watch Brandy and Ryan’s wedding special?

Source: Rolling Out

A couple of weeks ago, we told you about Mona Scott-Young’s new reality show, “The Gossip Game,” which is a series based on the lives of popular media personalities and gossip bloggers. The cast for the series is comprised of Vibe.com‘s JasFly, The Source magazine’s Editor In Chief, Kim Osorio, The Breakfast Club‘s Angela Yee, Hot 97′s K.Foxx, Hip Hop Gossip Site’s Vivian Billings, Global Grind‘s Sharon Carpenter and internet personality Ms. Drama.

During last night’s episode of “Love & Hip Hop,” the network debuted the official trailer for the upcoming series, which is scheduled to debut April 1st at 9 pm EST. The teaser briefly shows all seven cast members and offers a little taste of what we can expect from each of the ladies during the upcoming season. It definitely looks like there will be some friction. Both Viv and Ms. Drama somewhat imply that there is potential drama brewing on the horizon.

In case you missed our original posting on “The Gossip Game,” check out VH1′s description of the new series below.

“VH1′s new series ‘The Gossip Game,’ draws viewers into the lives of seven media personalities covering the fast-paced, competitive urban entertainment beat in New York City. Every day, these ambitious women navigate the ever-shifting landscape of the media industry, where they strive to preserve their place in the ‘pecking order’ while chasing the latest exclusive scoop. These rivals, who often find themselves at the epicenter of celebrity controversy, forge an uneasy alliance of friendly foes as they compete to hit their professional marks by being the first to break the latest news and divulge the intimate details of the enviable lives of hip hop’s movers and shakers.”

Check out “The Gossip Game’s” trailer on the following page and let us know what you think.