‘Love & Hip Hop’ Season 3, Episode 1 Recap: Joe Budden Disses Raqi for Tahiry

Welcome to 'Love & Hip Hop' Season 3, Episode 1, where absolutely no love exists, much less music. There's drama, and a lot of it this season, and it’s only the beginning.

For one, let's usher in the newbies: former hip-hop couple Tahiry and Joe Budden. In the beginning of the show, they're seated at a restaurant trying to work out their kinks. But their convo ends with Tahiry trashing the table and Joe being caught like a deer in headlights, acting innocent. He claims Tahiry is selfish and doesn't give enough, which is why their friendship doesn't work. But the video vixen clearly still feels some emotional burdens from their past relationship.

The camera cuts to Erica Mena at a photo shoot with her man Rich Dollaz (well, who she thinks is her man). As her manager, Rich wants to get her in "higher end" publications. Although they're kissy kissy, you can smell the deceit. The mixing of business and personal on 'Love & Hip Hop' as we have already seen in the past leads to explosion.

Yandy is back to reclaim her image, and she’s doing so as a pregnant mother. It works until her on-and-off-again boyfriend Mandeecees is back in her life. They're clearly at two different levels. At their baby shower, he gets into an argument with Yandy because he would rather go party with rapper Juelz Santana than stick around and help her bring  the baby's gifts to their apartment. After the baby is born, things seem to calm down some -- for now.

Raqi, who is a longtime friend of Joe, doesn't seem to serve a purpose on the show other than creating more drama around the Slaughterhouse emcee. Tahiry doesn't like her due to rumors she heard that Raqi and Joe were messing around during a time when they co-hosted a radio show together.

Olivia is back and motivated to get her career going. But when she finds out Rich Dollaz is messing around with Erica, she thinks it's the seeds for drama, which can effect her music -- none of which have seen the light of day. Rich decides to schedule a dinner with himself, Erica and Olivia so the latter can warn Erica of his unfaithful ways. This ends with Erica walking out, angry with Rich because he wasn't straight up with her.

There seems to be one sensible person on the show, and that's Tahiry's friend Rashidah. She tells Tahiry to leave Joe alone. But it’s clear Tahiry still has a soft spot and she's not going to listen. Do they ever?

Joe clearly does too. He pops up at Tahiry’s job, uninvited. He then admits that he would have married her, and that he loves her still. Tahiry eventually decides to give Joe a chance and accepts an invite to his 27th birthday gathering. Bad, bad choice.

At the gathering, Joe decides to play a game called Truth or Truth. This leads to more fighting between Tahiry and Raqi. What’s funny is Joe's deep Barry White-esque voice, which he uses in attempt to calm things down. But that doesn't work. Tahiry throws water in Raqi’s face. Joe sides with Tahiry and tells Raqi to leave. Joe obviously enjoys being in the middle of this, even though his current girlfriend Kaylin is in the pool -- the real person he he should have been tending to.

Rapper Consequence will be introduced on the show next week, and all I can wonder is what’s up with his teeth. And we'll find out if Yandy's newborn son may have health complications in the episodes to come.

Until next week, don’t act like these folks.