Love & Hip Hop’s Yandy Smith is the epitome of reality gold — love her or hate her, viewers are definitely talking about Yandy.
In a recent interview with NecoleBitchie.com, the controversial former manager of rapper Jim Jones discusses her edit on the show, her real friends and how she got to the top of her profession… that, and a little rumor about her boyfriend’s fight with Jim Jones. Because it’s not reality television if there isn’t fighting — even off-camera — right? An excerpt from that interview is below.
Yandy, you came out the Violator Management camp. Exactly how long have you been in the industry?
I got an internship with Violator in 2004, right out of college at Howard. Then I turned that into a position there.
When and where did you meet Jim Jones?
I met Jim in 2005 on a private jet chartered by Russell Simmons. They were flying us to Detroit for the Hip Hop summit to register young voters and Jim and I sat next to one another. He kept telling me that he managed this group The Diplomats and I told him to hit me up if he needed any help. He started calling me every day and eventually I was like ‘You’re going to have to pay me for this.” So I became his official manager and left Violator in 2005.
On the show you’re definitely portrayed as a woman about her business. Were you always that way? Or was there a situation that brought that out of you?
You know what, when I went to Howard, I got a scholarship the first two years. But my mother made me pay for the last two years. So that really taught me to be about my business. Yeah, being social was great and I did that too but I definitely learned quickly that I had to handle mine. And when school was over, I brought that same mindset to Violator Management. I knew I had to hurry up and find a job so I could pay back my student loans. So I came in on my business.
OLIVIA AND MAMA JONES GET INTO A TWITTER WAR!
So on the show you made the statement that at the end of the day, for you it’s about making money…
See that was only part of the statement. What they didn’t show you was that I also said how much I love Jim. See a lot of that is changed in editing or manipulated by producers.
Let’s talk about that. Are you happy with the way you’ve been represented?
(Groans) See, here’s the thing: most people don’t realize how this really works. If the producers contact me and say there’s a woman named Erica Mena interested in meeting with me about management, I don’t know what an Erica Mena is. But I took the meeting and all the sudden its made to look like I’m starting something. Or if Emily [Bustamante] invites me along with the rest of the girls to her party, I don’t know what type of party it is until I get there. And really I didn’t come with Kimbella. The camera just shows us walking up to the house together, so now it looks like I’ve brought Kimbella [Vanderhee] and I didn’t.
So have you been portrayed wrong?
Listen, you can’t edit something that you do. I am who I am on the show with one exception: I really don’t have any drama in my life. I’m not around grown women fighting and all of that. That doesn’t happen in my normal life. A lot of that is manipulated because it makes sense in the storyline.
Would you consider your cast mates friends in real life?
No. I’m friends with Kimbella. She is genuinely my friend. I like Somaya [Reece]. I like Olivia. I knew Olivia from my Violator days. I wasn’t on her day to day team but we got to know each other better after that.
What about Chrissy?
I never had a reason to be close with Chrissy [Lampkin]. Before the show I really only had a relationship with Chrissy through Jim. If we were going somewhere and Jim was like ‘I’m bringing Chrissy’ then I was like cool. But we never hung out or had dinner at each others houses. I have that relationship with Juelz and Kim. I’m the God mother of their child.
So you’ve finished filming and I know you’ve got a big episode coming up and you can’t tell us too much. So let me ask you this, are you at peace with how the situation ended with you and Jim?
I’m at peace. Absolutely. You know what? The show brought a lot of things to light. I’m quick to brother out somebody. I’m super quick to call a dude my brother – and part of that comes from being a woman in this industry. Calling someone my brother lets other people know there’s nothing going on and it sends a message to that dude that there’s a line he shouldn’t cross with me. But Jim? Jim was deeper than my brother. In a lot of ways I think of Jim as my first born. He really was my very first project. We were broke together and then got rich together.
So where is that relationship now?
I will always love Mama Jones. Mama Jones and I used to talk for hours about all sorts of things – not just Jim – so I will always have a relationship with her.
What about Jim?
I’ll just say this: Jim will always be a very important factor in my career history. Like I said, he was there in the beginning, so my appreciation for that will always be there.
[If] they asked you back for Season 3, would you do it?
I don’t know at this point. Honestly. The people that can really affect my bottom line, know what it is. But the other people that see the show and call me the Don King of the show, they think ‘oh Yandy’s messy.’ I don’t know if there’s anywhere else for me to go on the show. And I don’t need my own show. America likes to watch a train wreck. Chrissy could have her own show. But I’m not a train wreck. So I don’t know.
Do you have a boyfriend?
(Laughs) Yes, I have a boo.
Did he beat up Jim Jones?
I don’t know. I wasn’t there. I heard Jim say it was a botched robbery in Harlem.
Did your boyfriend attempt to rob Jim Jones, in Harlem?
No. My boyfriend definitely doesn’t need to rob anyone.
Whoa! According to the rumor mill, Yandy’s boyfriend allegedly beat up Jim Jones a few weeks ago in NYC. Sources close to Jim have, however, insisted it was a botched robbery. That is some pretty hefty stuff if you ask me. Personally, I enjoy some Yandy on the show, but all the ladies bring that certain something (read: DRAMZ!) to each episode.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YANDY’S INTERVIEW? DO YOU THINK SHE’S A LEGITIMATE PROFESSIONAL OR THE “DON KING” OF THE SERIES? ANY TRUTH TO THE RUMOR THAT HER BOYFRIEND BEAT UP JIM JONES?
