New Couples of 'Love & Hip Hop' Spill on Relationship Struggles

Cast gets honest as new season approaches

It's a new year and with it comes a new season of "Love & Hip Hop" with a handful of new cast members who showed up (and out) at the advance screening of season 3's first episode Thursday night at New York's Kiss & Fly. Gone are Chrissy, Emily B., and Kimbella (the respective girlfriends and baby mamas of rappers Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, and Fabolous)—as well as aspiring artist Somaya—and in are at least 10 new faces. You read that right, so let's get started on introductions, shall we?

THE LOVE TRIAN-, UH, SQUARE: Joe Budden, Tahiry, Raqi Thunda and Kaylin

Rapper Joe Budden has his hands full this season, and it's no more evident than in the first few minutes of the premiere episode when he asks ex-girlfriend, video vixen Tahiry, to lunch. She left him after five years of dating because he wasn't handing his "business" and he feels that their "story" is still being written so, as you can expect from a former couple that's not on the same page, the meeting doesn't go well. But that doesn't mean they don't attempt to do the same twice more, including one must-see pool party at Budden's house that includes his current girlfriend, Kaylin, and a mutual friend he's rumored to have slept with named Raqi Thunda (who, red flag(!), refers to herself as the "Hip Hop Confidante.")

So what'd the foursome have to say at the party?
Tahiry: The world met me being with Joe, but a man never identifies who I am and, throughout the show, you'll be able to see that I'm an independent, fiery Latina doing what I gotta do when I gotta do it and how I gotta do it. We all move forward and life goes on. Whatever's happening, I'm an open book and I leave my cards out on the table.
Kaylin: I feel like [Joe] really wants a friendship with Tahiry and I'm okay for that. Whatever makes him happy, I'll do it.
Raqi (on her current status with former friend Tahiry): There is no relationship at all.
Joe (on deciding to do a reality show): I thought it would be interesting for the people that follow me a little bit. I'd like to think this is something we did via the Internet a long time ago, so I didn't think them putting a camera in front of me would alter anything at all.

[10 Questions with 'Love & Hip Hop's' K. Michelle]

THE 'BUSINESS VS. PLEASURE' BUNCH: Olivia, Rich Dollaz and Erica Mena

Though these three appeared on the last season—we watched as singer Olivia and her manager Rich struggled to regain her footing in the industry, and as model Erica mostly started fights while also trying to pursue a singing career—their dynamic has since changed because (dun, dun, dun!) Rich and Erica have started dating. This naturally puts Olivia at unease because she fears her career will take a backseat to their relationship or that she'll be blamed when it goes bad ("which it will," she says). In the premiere episode, we watch as the three meet for an awkward dinner: Olivia interrogates, Rich appears to get caught in a lie, and Erica storms out.