You remember the chain. That massive, swinging "stallion" medallion clinking against a designer vest. If you watched VH1 during the mid-2000s "Celebreality" era, you didn't just watch a show; you witnessed a cultural shift. At the center of that whirlwind was Chance from I Love New York, a man whose real name is Kamal Givens but who will forever be cemented in our collective memory as the slick-talking, high-energy foil to his brother, Real.
He didn't win. He didn't even come that close in the first season. Yet, somehow, he became the blueprint for what a reality TV star should be.
Most people think reality TV is easy. It isn't. To stay relevant when you aren't the lead requires a specific kind of charisma that you can't really teach. Kamal had it. He brought this weird, magnetic energy to the screen that made Tiffany "New York" Pollard—the undisputed queen of the genre—actually lose her composure. Usually, New York was the one doing the intimidating. With Chance, she met her match. He wasn't afraid of her. Honestly, he seemed to find her hilarious, which made the dynamic between them feel more authentic than almost any other pairing on the show.
The Stallion Spirit: How Chance from I Love New York Changed the Game
When we talk about the impact of Chance from I Love New York, we have to talk about the "Stallionaires." It sounds ridiculous now, right? But back then, the brand was everything. Kamal and his brother Ahmad (Real) weren't just contestants; they were a packaged deal. They represented a specific West Coast swagger that felt fresh compared to the staged drama of The Bachelor.
Kamal understood the assignment.
He knew that being "the bad boy" was a trope, but he leaned into it with a sincerity that was confusingly charming. He’d get into a fight in the house one minute and be reciting poetry—terrible, wonderful reality TV poetry—the next. This duality is why he stayed in the public eye long after the cameras stopped rolling at the I Love New York mansion. He knew how to play the "villain" without ever becoming truly unlikable. That’s a razor-thin line to walk.
The first season of I Love New York was a juggernaut. Ratings were through the roof. While Tango eventually walked away with the win (and then broke New York's heart at the reunion), it was Chance who people were talking about at the water cooler. He was unpredictable. You never knew if he was going to start a brawl or start a rap battle. That unpredictability is the secret sauce of the VH1 era.
Real and Chance: The Brother Dynamic
You can't mention Kamal without mentioning his brother, Ahmad. The "Real and Chance" duo was a masterclass in casting. You had the "good brother" and the "bad brother." It’s a classic narrative structure. While Real was sensitive and soft-spoken, Chance was the loud, brash engine of the pair.
They weren't just there for a girl. They were there for a career.
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It worked. After I Love New York, they didn't just fade away into the "where are they now" files. They parlayed that secondary fame into Real and Chance: The Legend of Hunters, and later, their own dating show, Real & Chance: The Ticket to Love. They became a brand. This was before Instagram influencers. This was before you could just go live on TikTok and keep your 15 minutes of fame going indefinitely. They had to rely on personality and the sheer will of their own hustle.
The tragedy of the brothers' story, of course, comes much later with Ahmad’s passing from colon cancer in 2015. It was a moment that humanized the "Stallionaire" persona in a way nobody expected. We saw Kamal, the guy who was always joking and posing, truly grieving. It reminded everyone that behind the "Chance" persona was a real person with a real family.
Why the "Bad Boy" Image Stuck
There's a reason New York kept him around so long. He challenged her. In the world of reality dating, most guys are just "yes men." They want to stay on the show, so they agree with everything the lead says. Chance from I Love New York did the opposite. He pushed back. He was arrogant. He was often late or completely uninterested in the formal "challenges" the producers set up.
That's the paradox of reality TV. The people who act like they don't want to be there are often the ones we want to see the most.
His "don't care" attitude made the stakes feel higher. When he actually did show emotion or vulnerability, it felt earned. Most of the time, he was just there to cause chaos. Whether he was instigating a fight with Mr. Boston or making fun of the other suitors' clothes, he was the primary engine of entertainment for the house. Without him, the first season would have lacked that volatile edge that made it must-see TV.
The Fashion, the Medallions, and the 2007 Aesthetic
Let's be real: the fashion was a choice.
The oversized suits. The "Stallion" chains. The hair. It was all a vibe that defined a very specific moment in hip-hop and reality culture. Chance wasn't just wearing clothes; he was wearing a uniform. It was part of the myth-making. When he walked into a room, you knew exactly who he was supposed to be.
- He wore the confidence of a man who owned the building, even when he was just a guest in it.
- The jewelry wasn't just for show; it was a conversation piece.
- He used his physical presence to dominate the space around him.
People often mock the aesthetic of the mid-2000s, but it was intentional. It was about being seen. In a house full of twenty other guys, you have to find a way to stand out in a wide shot. Chance did that effortlessly.
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The Transition to One Mo' Chance
Fast forward a decade and some change. The landscape of TV had changed. Cable was dying, and streaming was taking over. Yet, the demand for Kamal Givens didn't disappear. This leads us to the Zeus Network era.
One Mo' Chance debuted in 2020. It was a wild, unfiltered, and often controversial return to the dating show format. But here’s the thing: it worked. It proved that the audience for Chance from I Love New York hadn't gone anywhere; they had just moved to a different platform.
The show was different. It was raw. It lacked the "shiny floor" polish of the old VH1 days, but Kamal was exactly the same. He hadn't aged out of his persona. He was still the same high-energy, unpredictable character he was in 2007. It's rare for a reality star to have that kind of longevity. Usually, the "act" gets tired after a couple of years. But Kamal isn't acting; he's just being an amplified version of himself.
Dealing with the "Villain" Label
Kamal has often addressed the way he was portrayed. In interviews, he’s been pretty candid about the fact that he knew what the producers wanted. He gave it to them. He understood that being the "nice guy" gets you sent home in episode three. Being the guy who starts a fight gets you a spin-off.
He’s talked about the editing process and how a single look or a cut-away can change the entire context of a scene. This is the E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) of reality TV. After nearly twenty years in the industry, he’s an expert in how the machine works. He knows how to feed the beast.
The Cultural Legacy of the Stallionaires
It’s easy to dismiss these shows as "trash TV." People did it then, and they do it now. But there’s a reason these clips still go viral on Twitter and TikTok. There’s a reason people still quote New York and Chance. It was a time when reality TV felt more like the Wild West. There were fewer scripts, fewer "influencer" aspirations, and more raw, unhinged personality.
Chance from I Love New York wasn't trying to sell you a waist trainer or a skincare line. He was just trying to be the most famous person in the room. There’s something refreshingly honest about that.
The Stallionaire brand was also one of the first times we saw Black male leads in a dating show format that wasn't trying to be "respectable." It was loud, it was messy, and it was unapologetically Black. It paved the way for the current era of reality stars who don't feel the need to conform to traditional "Bachelor" standards of behavior.
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What We Can Learn from Kamal Givens
If you look at his career as a business model, it's actually pretty impressive. He took a losing stint on a dating show and turned it into:
- A multi-season run on one of the most popular shows in VH1 history.
- Multiple spin-offs with his brother.
- A successful transition into the streaming era with Zeus Network.
- A lasting personal brand that survives purely on charisma.
Most people get one season and disappear. Kamal has been a fixture for nearly two decades. That's not an accident. It's a testament to understanding your audience and never breaking character.
Actionable Takeaways for Reality TV Fans and Creators
If you’re looking back at the era of Chance from I Love New York or trying to understand why he remains a cult icon, here’s the breakdown of what made him stay relevant.
Embrace the Contrast
Don't just be one thing. Chance was the bad boy who loved his mom and his brother. He was the fighter who wrote poetry. That contrast makes a person interesting. If you’re building a brand—on social media or elsewhere—don't be afraid of your contradictions. They are what make you human.
Consistency is King
Kamal never tried to reinvent himself as a serious actor or a corporate mogul. He knew his lane. He stayed the Stallionaire. In a world of constant rebranding, there is immense value in just being the best version of the thing people already like.
Watch the Originals
If you want to understand modern reality TV, you have to go back to the source. Watch the first season of I Love New York. Observe how Chance handles conflict. He rarely loses his cool, even when he’s yelling. He’s always in control of the scene. That’s a skill.
Check Out the New Era
To see how the persona has evolved, look at the Zeus Network projects. It’s a fascinating look at what happens when a reality star gets older but the world around them gets even more chaotic. It’s a different vibe, but the core of the "Chance" energy is still there.
The story of Kamal Givens is more than just a guy on a dating show. It's a story about the birth of the modern reality celebrity. He didn't just participate in the culture; he helped define it. Whether you loved him or hated him—and there wasn't much room in between—you couldn't stop watching. And honestly, that’s the highest compliment you can pay a reality star.
To stay updated on what Kamal is doing now, your best bet is following his active social media presence or checking for new seasons on Zeus. He’s still out there, chain clinking, stallion spirit intact, proving that some personalities are just too big for a single decade.