Yandy Smith

Background

With a rising career as a reality star, Yandy Smith is certainly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry. Born Yandielle Unique Smith on March 19, 1982, in Harlem, New York, to Laura and Ralph Smith, she is of African-American descent. Her star sign is Pisces. Keen on making a career in the television industry, she first went on to complete her education, earning a degree in business management from Washington D.C.’s prestigious Howard University in 2004. Thereafter, she began her career as an intern at Violator Management under Mona Scott-Young, a famous American entrepreneur and television producer. After a chance meeting with rapper Jim Jones in 2005, she signed on as his manager, eventually making her debut on television on a show that was originally centered around Jones.

The original show was revamped and became what was later known as “Love & Hip Hop.”
It was her uncredited cameo in season one of V.H.1.’s hit reality show “Love & Hip Hop: New York” in 2011 that brought her into the limelight. She went on to become a main cast member of the show starting season two in 2012, where she was seen as Jones’ manager, and eventually became one of the longest-surviving cast members on the show. The same year, she also turned producer with the independent feature film, “Life, Love, Soul.” Her career in reality television has also interloped with her personal life, with her then-boyfriend, Mendeecees Harris, being introduced on the third season of the show. Their subsequent engagement and the birth of their first child were also captured on the show. With Harris’ incarceration, the focus shifted back to Smith, and the couple was reunited in season five when she also gave birth to their second child in 2015. That same year, Smith’s televised marriage to Harris was shown live as part of a special, “Love & Hip Hop Live: The Wedding.” Later, she revealed that the ceremony was not legal, only symbolic. Smith’s topsy-turvy life took another dramatic turn the next year when her husband was sentenced to eight years of prison time. She continued to star on the show, where she was shown embroiled in a custody battle with the mothers of her husband’s other children. Through seasons eight, nine, and 10 of the show, new events in her life were chronicled, including her attempt to adopt a foster child.

In 2020, after her husband’s release from prison, she moved her family to Atlanta, where she joined the show “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.” Thereafter, she also made appearances on “V.H.1. Family Reunion: Love & Hip Hop Edition,” “Remy & Papoose: Meet the Mackies,” and “40 Greatest Love & Hip Hop Moments,” among other shows. In 2021, she also made an appearance on the show “B.E.T. Her Presents: The Couch,” playing a woman with mental health issues.

Smith has also made a mark with her sense of style and fashion as well as her discussions on trending topics. Fans keenly follow her social media accounts to hear her views on a wide range of issues. She has also built a career as a successful businesswoman, producer, and entrepreneur and owns the brand Everything Girls Love. She also publishes the “EGL Magazine,” which covers wellness, finance, fashion, and others. In 2016, following her husband’s conviction and incarceration in a drug trafficking case, she became an activist for humane jail conditions, often participating in rallies and protests. As she continues to build on her business endeavors, she is also focused on influencing people for the better, winning the appreciation of her peers and fans.