While some may know him better for his romantic connections to ladies like Nicki Minaj and Erica Mena, Safaree Samuels has been in the rap game for a minute. He began his music career in the short-lived hip hop group, Hoodstars, formed in the early 2000s alongside his then-girlfriend Nicki Minaj, as well as Lou$tar and Seven Up. They recorded a few modest hits including the entrance song for WWE Diva, Victoria, called "Don't Mess With,” before disbanding around 2004. Safaree went on to become a hype man for Nicki, who had begun pursuing a solo rap career. He co-wrote on both her debut and sophomore studio albums, before they broke up in 2014 after nearly fifteen years together.
In 2016, Safaree joined the cast of Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood. He currently serves as a main cast member on Love & Hip Hop: New York and stars in a supporting role on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta. Safaree met his current wife, fellow Love & Hip Hop star, Erica Mena, on another VH1 reality show, Scared Famous, in 2017. They got married in October 2019, and welcomed their first child together in February 2020.
Safaree dropped a handful of mixtapes throughout the late 2010s, including It Is What It Is and It Is What It Is, Vol. 2. in 2015, followed by Real Yard Vibes in 2016 and Fur Coat Vol. 1 in 2017. He released his official debut album in early 2020, and despite his long-spanning career, it looks like he’s just getting started.
