Love And Hip-Hop’s Teairra Mari: Ray J Is “Dead To Me Now”

Teairra Mari has emerged at the center of one of the brightest flashpoints in the new season of Love & Hip-Hop: Hollywood, with her relationship with Ray J setting sparks fly as the two fell apart in shocking ways. Three episodes into the new season, sites like Jezebel are already calling her "the best and worst part" of the show, with her drama—screaming matches, drink-throwing incidents, general confrontations—taking over the spotlight.

But Teairra Mari is also trying to reclaim her drifting music career, working with a slew of writers and producers to put out a full project, which so far doesn't have a name. As LHHH gears up for its fourth episode and gets really into the swing of things, XXL spoke to Teairra Mari about Ray J, reality television and what to expect from her new music. —Interview by Miranda Johnson

XXL: I remember you on Love & Hip Hop NY a while back. Was this spinoff something that was planned all along?
Teairra Mari: It wasn’t. It just came about at a crazy time for me. I had just broke up with Ray. Me and Hazel were going through our things. It’s just crazy. God works in mysterious ways. That’s a real statement because the timing was just dead on for all my freaking drama to be aired.

I must say that it wasn’t really known that you and Ray J had such a lengthy relationship. It went on for so many years.
Yeah we did, but he’s dead to me now. I love him like a black widow. I thought that was the perfect song that they played [on the premiere].

When did you guys actually start dating?
Shit, we started dating like nine years ago. It’s just been off and on since then. He’s just one of those ones for me. He’s done me wrong in the past and I always go back to him. Not anymore. You can’t date somebody who’s not alive.

Were you and Ray J trying to keep your relationship on the low or was it something that just never really got out?
It was something that just never got out. We weren’t trying to keep it on the low. We would go out together and have fun together. This last go-round, it kind of got out. The paparazzi had caught us a couple of places and we went to the BET Awards together. We didn’t really care anymore.

What message are you trying to get across in the show to your fans?
I haven’t really though about what message I’m trying to get across. I’m just living my truth. My messages that I put out are through music. All the pain that you see, [I express it] through my music. You’ll see me get around to that this season because I did get caught up in the whole Ray J drama in the beginning of the season. But I eventually evolve and I do what I’m supposed to be doing, which is music.

Why did you feel it was important to join the cast?
I didn’t feel like it was important, I just felt the timing was right. I’ve been knowing Mona [Scott-Young, the show's producer] since I was 16 or 17. So we had a conversation and I just felt like, "Hey, why not?" People don’t really know me. They don’t know how to perceive me because they don’t know me. So I just felt like it was time for me to be myself and let it all hang out.

You mentioned new music, so on the season you’ll be putting together a project?
Absolutely.

Do you have a title? Is it an album?
I don’t have a title yet but I have a lot of records. You have to tune in to see. [Laughs]

People tend to view reality TV in a negative way. What are your thoughts on that?
I love reality TV. It’s like my guilty pleasure. So for me to be a part of it is kind of like crazy because now I’m going to become people’s guilty pleasure. But yeah, I love reality TV. I don’t think I watch scripted shows anymore expect for like Scandal.

You mentioned knowing Mona for a number of years, what are your thoughts when people speak negatively about her? I’ve heard that she just puts things together and she doesn’t really force anyone to act out of character.
She doesn’t and she shouldn’t take the fall for people’s actions or behavior because she doesn’t tell us to go and throw drinks and hit each other upside the head. So I think she gets a bad rep for grown ass people’s decisions. She puts us in scenes. How [the cast] reacts and what [the cast] does is what they do. We’re all grown. And I’ve had my moments this season and I will never blame Mona for them.

Who would you say your favorite cast member is on Love & Hip-Hop Hollywood?
I have a few. I’m team Ms. Nikki. I’m team Omari and Apryl. I’m team Fizz. These are all my friends in real life, before the show. I was friends with O and Fizz is like a brother to me. I’m definitely rocking with their storylines. There’s probably a few more that I’m not thinking of off hand.

Do you have any favorite moments from previous Love & Hip-Hop seasons?
Yeah, when Joseline socked Stevie J in the counseling meeting. That was crazy. It’s crazy 'cause I never saw myself being the turn up queen but I have definitely been put in some situations where I have turned up this season. It’s funny because all my favorites are the turn up queens. I love Erica and I love Joseline. I never thought I would mirror them in any possible [way] because I don’t like to fight in public. I don’t like to get loud and crazy in public. I have been pushed to the extreme.

What can you tease about one of your biggest moments on the show?
I can’t tease anything. I’ve been through hell and back this season.