[Interview] ‘I Started In the Attic, Now I’m Here!’, Somaya Reece Explains Why She Doesn’t Miss Love & Hip Hop + New TV Plans

Since leaving Love & Hip Hop after season two, Somaya Reece has been quite busy. Determined not to be a reality show casualty, Reece has been working hard to rebrand herself with a new look, attitude and sound. Surprisingly, the Cali native has decided to give reality TV another try, with her own show premiering on NuvoTV early next year. theJasmineBRAND.com correspondent Sabrina Campbell recently caught up with Reece and she discussed her upcoming projects, what she really thinks about her former LHH cast mates and why she has no desire to return. Check out our conversation below.

theJasmineBRAND.com: So tell us – where have you been?

Somaya Reece: I have been working. Well you know, I’d decided that what I really needed to do is to rebrand! I needed to find a very – something that’s very not – a lot of people I guess are like, polished? You know, I just needed something to work for myself and to separate myself from the old Tamia, as far as the music, the look, the ‘Love & Hip Hop’ brand – I sort of wanted to come back as fitness, better music. I hear everything that’s out there, I’m not naive. But instead of sitting around and feeling sad about it or criticizing myself, I decided to do something about it because that’s just how I roll.

 So when we first saw you come on the show, you were talking about how hungry you are, you were ready…

 I’m always hungry boo, but never thirsty. So, would you say you have changed since the first time when we saw you on the screen til now? “I started in the attic, now i’m here” (reference to Drake’s song). I no longer live that way but you know, I really beasted hard for my dreams and the thing is that some people respected it, some people made fun of it. Those people who respected it, respected that I wasn’t sleeping around to get on – I really was like – I don’t care, I got to be home, this is my dream and I’m going to pursue it and that’s what I got to do. So that’s what I did. And I’m so hungry, I’m always hungry and I always believe that you’ve got to be a student first in order to be a boss so I’m constantly trying to find new avenues – I’m currently writing some books.

I’m actually – Jackie Christie which is a friend of mine, she’s helping mentor me with my book. She’s published many successful books and people want to hate on her but she’s a boss! She has credits so you can undermine her however you want but it’s the reality and I’m really just looking forward to just doing it. And I just took all the negative and turned it into a positive and I always will, so..

 Do you miss being on ‘Love & Hip Hop’?

Do I? No. I don’t want to miss it, I don’t miss it, I don’t – I would say that I would – looking back at it now, I experienced it then, it would be a different for me now. This time looking back, bitches can’t take me. That is the truth. So you know, it would be different now. I’m a lot informed about the brand. But I’m not regretful, that’s the one thing that I really always say – like you can’t regret being given an opportunity – it’s up to you what you do with it. Because no matter how much they try to undermine me, no matter how much they try to – you know the girls made fun of me – it didn’t matter. I still kept it pushing and I never allowed anybody to undermine me so, I’m grateful for it. I’m good!

  And is there anyone that you’d like to mend your relationship with – do you miss anybody from the cast?

 Well I talk to everybody now. That’s the thing – it’s like you know we’re good. But I think me and Christie was the biggest – we popped off ‘Love & Hip Hop’ and we’re good. We’re good and I have mended it with everybody. If I don’t talk to someone from it, it’s because we shouldn’t. Yeah. Because I don’t really want – I mean, we’re not all perfect but I won’t do everything just to be on T.V. like I’m not going to pull a publicity stunt to do the dumbest things just to be on T.V.

It’s just not – that’s just not the type of T.V that I want to on. Like if I’m going to do something that’s going to make people talk, it’s going to be because it’s natural, it’s not something like, “Oh let me just show my boob!” So I’m not thirsty for that, like I’m good. I was a home-owner before the show, and I’m home-owner now, I’m good. I have my partner, I’m happy. My family’s good. There’s a lot more to fame than what people think. You know, everybody thinks that – famous makin’ people crazy! I’m not going to lie. Are you watching all these reality shows?! These chicks are doing everything so I don’t want to be like that. Honestly if these were all gone tomorrow, I’m still living with a smile, I’m happy. So my inner peace is good.

  So would we be able to see you on T.V again anytime soon?

Yes! Well, you see me here, and –

In reality?

Yes, definitely reality. You know, for some reason, some people think I’m against it but I’m not at all. I just want to make sure that I can pick and choose my battles now because I can. I wasn’t able to before, you know, when you first start, it is what it is. And you build a little cloud and then it changes. But you will be seeing me on reality a lot. But I started out in scripted television so now that I’m back here – I just got my new agent on Paradigm, so I’m just going back to films and commercials. I started out doing comedic commercials on 45 nationals on my belt. So I’m going back to that, because I love doing that. Reality T.V would be fun this time around and so yeah.

For all things reality TV, follow her Somaya_Reece. [MyNameIsSabrina]