It’s been years, but people still bring up Love and Hip Hop New York Season 8 like it happened yesterday. Why? Because it was messy. Honestly, it was the moment the franchise shifted from being a gritty look at the music industry into a full-blown soap opera centered on "the originals" trying to keep their crowns while a new wave of influencers crashed the party.
If you go back and watch it now, the vibe is different. Cardi B was gone. She’d already vaulted into superstardom, leaving a massive power vacuum that the producers desperately tried to fill. You could feel the frantic energy in the editing.
The Power Vacuum After Cardi B
Look, losing Cardi was a hit. The show needed a new spark, and for Love and Hip Hop New York Season 8, they banked heavily on Yandy Smith-Harris and the return of some legacy players. But the real story wasn't just about who was there; it was about the shift in how these people managed their brands.
Remember Safaree Samuels? He hopped over from the Hollywood franchise, bringing his fur coats and that "stuntman" energy. People clowned him, but he understood the assignment. He knew that in the 2017-2018 era of reality TV, you didn't actually need to be dropping a Top 40 hit to stay relevant. You just needed to be the loudest person in the room. His entry into the New York scene felt calculated, yet it worked because he gave the cameras exactly what they wanted: pure, unadulterated vanity.
The season kicked off in October 2017, and right away, the tension between the "creatives" and the "personalities" was glaring. You had Remy Ma, fresh off her "shETHER" momentum, trying to maintain her status as the Queen of NY Rap while balancing a high-risk pregnancy journey. It was one of the few times the show felt grounded in real, human stakes.
Remy Ma and the Weight of Expectations
Remy’s arc in Love and Hip Hop New York Season 8 is probably the most authentic thing about that entire run. She wasn't just fighting for a spot on the charts; she was fighting her own body. Watching her and Papoose navigate the "Golden Child" journey provided a necessary emotional anchor. Without them, the season might have floated off into total absurdity.
Papoose is arguably the MVP of the entire franchise. His loyalty isn't a character trait; it’s the show's moral compass. While everyone else was cheating, throwing drinks, or lying about record deals, Pap was just... there. Supporting his wife. It made the surrounding drama feel even more chaotic by comparison.
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The Rise of the "Creep Squad" Drama
Then you had the mess. The Creep Squad—Rich Dollaz, DJ Self, and Cisco Rosado—was reaching a breaking point. By Season 8, the "creeping" schtick was getting a little long in the tooth. Fans were starting to see through the cycle.
- Rich finds a new artist.
- The artist gets mad at Rich.
- A secret girlfriend appears.
- Someone throws a drink at a lounge in Midtown.
It was a formula. But in Season 8, the addition of Anais added a bizarre, unpredictable layer. She was a firecracker. No, actually, she was a loose cannon. Her flirtation with Rich Dollaz despite being married was uncomfortable to watch, but it was the kind of car-wreck television that kept the ratings stable.
Why the New Additions Failed to Stick
They tried to bring in fresh blood like Lil' Mo and her husband Karl Dargan. It didn't quite land the way the producers hoped. Lil' Mo is a legend—let's be clear—but her storyline felt like it belonged on a different show. It was too heavy, too focused on the grim realities of infidelity and distrust, without the "fun" spark that someone like K. Michelle or Joseline Hernandez brought to their respective cities.
Then there was Brittney Taylor. She was supposed to be the new "tough girl" from the streets, but her beefs often felt manufactured for the plot. When she clashed with Bianca Bonnie, it felt like two people fighting for a spot on the reunion couch rather than two artists with a genuine grievance.
The Yandy Smith-Harris Paradox
You can't talk about Love and Hip Hop New York Season 8 without talking about Yandy. At this point, she was the undisputed face of the show. But she was also under fire. The whole situation with Mendeecees being in prison and the drama with his "baby mamas," Samantha Wallace and Erika DeShazo, was reaching a fever pitch.
The "fake marriage" rumors were everywhere. People were digging into public records, trying to prove that her and Mendeecees' wedding was just for TV. Yandy handled it like a PR pro, but you could see the cracks. She was trying to maintain this image of the perfect "boss babe" while her personal life was being picked apart by everyone on the cast.
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It's fascinating because Yandy represents the transition of reality stars into influencers. She wasn't there to manage artists anymore; she was there to manage Yandy.
Key Players and Their Season 8 Impact
- Safaree: Brought the "Hollywood" polish to NYC. His presence made the show feel less like a documentary and more like a scripted dramedy.
- Dreamdoll: Before she was a genuine rap star, she was a polarizing figure this season. She didn't stay long, but her impact was felt.
- Jonathan Fernandez: He was a breakout. As a makeup artist to the stars, he brought a sharp wit and a genuine friendship with Yandy that didn't feel forced. His coming-out story and his struggles with his family added much-needed depth.
The Production Shift
Technically, Season 8 looked different too. The lighting was brighter. The transitions were slicker. The show was moving away from the dark, moody clubs of the early seasons and into brightly lit brunches and high-end showrooms. This was the "Instagram-ification" of Love and Hip Hop.
Every scene felt like it was staged for a specific aesthetic. Even the fights felt more choreographed. If you compare Season 1 to Season 8, the evolution is staggering. The early days were about "making it." Season 8 was about "staying relevant."
The Music Actually Mattered (Briefly)
Despite the drama, there were flashes of actual music. Maino was around, lending some veteran credibility to the cast. Seeing the struggle of independent artists trying to get radio play in a world dominated by streaming was an interesting, albeit brief, subplot.
Bianca Bonnie’s struggle to move past "Chicken Noodle Soup" was a real-world look at the "one-hit wonder" curse. She had talent, but the show focused so much on her temper that her music often took a backseat. It's a recurring theme in the franchise: the show that is supposed to promote your music often becomes the very thing that distracts people from it.
What We Learned from the Reunion
The Season 8 reunion was a chaotic mess, as per usual. Nina Parker had her hands full. But it solidified one thing: the cast was divided. You had the "vets" who felt they built the house, and the "newcomers" who were just trying to move in.
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When the cameras stopped rolling on Season 8, it was clear that the New York installment needed a reboot. It had become too self-aware. The cast knew what the audience wanted, so they gave them caricatures of themselves.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re going back to rewatch this specific era, don't just look at the fights. Look at the background. Look at how they talk about social media. This was the year everyone realized that a viral moment was worth more than a guest verse on a remix.
You can find the episodes on Paramount+ or VH1's official site. Pay attention to the shift in Safaree’s wardrobe—it’s a metaphor for the show's escalating absurdity. Also, watch the way Remy Ma navigates the room; she always looks like she’s the only adult in a room full of teenagers.
Final Takeaways for Fans:
- Check the timeline: This season happened right as the music industry was fully pivoting to TikTok-style marketing, even before TikTok was the giant it is now.
- Follow the money: Notice how many "brands" are launched this season. Everyone had a hair line, a makeup line, or a fitness tea.
- The "Original" Factor: This was one of the last seasons where the New York identity felt distinct before it started blending with the Atlanta and Hollywood vibes.
The best way to appreciate Love and Hip Hop New York Season 8 is to see it as a time capsule. It captures the exact moment reality TV stopped being about "real life" and started being about the business of being a reality star. To truly understand the current state of celebrity culture, you have to look at how these pioneers navigated the transition. Go back and watch the "Golden Child" arc—it's the one part of the season that still feels 100% human.
Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
- Analyze the discographies: Go listen to the projects dropped during 2017-2018 by Remy Ma and Bianca Bonnie to see if the TV exposure actually translated to sonics.
- Compare the spin-offs: Watch the first three episodes of LHHNY Season 8 and LHH ATL Season 7 back-to-back to see how production styles differed between cities during that peak era.
- Track the cast now: Look up where Anais and Brittney Taylor are today; their trajectories post-show tell a vivid story about the "reality TV curse."