Beneath the Surface with: Love & Hip Hop

The women of VH1's Love & Hip Hop

A couple of weeks ago during a trip to my mother-in-law's home, I was exposed to VH1's Love & Hip Hop - a reality television show that revolves around several rappers significant others.

Despite fisticuffs and enough bad language to make a sailor blush, the show managed to pique my interest. Instead of looking at it as another Housewives show, I saw it as a peak behind the curtain of a multi-million dollar industry that is losing the prominence it once held back in the 90s.

What I found so interesting was the stark reality and scrutiny that the women of the show face - on a regular basis. When the rappers on the show did something scandalous that hit the tabloids, you could immediately see how it impacted their families.

In a sense you got the idea that some of the females on the show were walking on the edge, just waiting for the nearest scandal or story to break.

An example of this was during the first episode of Season two, when Chrissy Lampkin, the fiance of Jim Jones, was bracing herself after she received a call informing her about a controversial piece in World Star Hip Hop.Com.

Chrissy's voice was a bit shaky as she was wondering what Jim had done now. It was a powerful piece of drama. Imagine being engaged to someone who is part of an industry that largely promotes everything except monogamy.

You dread each phone call. You clutch your chest each time you're online and see something about your significant other. This show - if you can get past the fisticuffs and cattiness - is really an intimate look at the price of fame.