VH1 has officially released the first super trailer for Love & Hip Hop Hollywood. And fans might have recognized a familiar face: Nicki Minaj’s ex-boyfriend, Safaree Samuels.

The 34-year-old rapper is slated to star in the show this season and has made it clear he wants to make a name for himself and be known for more than the female emcee’s former flame.

And it looks like his cast already sees him as more.

Max Lux said Samuels is “a real cool dude” while his rumored girlfriend Nikki Mudarris credited him for being “a very loyal man.”

Ray J dubbed Samuels as his “bro.”

Samuels spoke up himself and said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover. I’m not a player. They think I’m very arrogant and self-centered and conceited and I’m very bitter about my past relationship because for the most part that’s what a lot of people connect to. I’m here and I’m trying to separate myself from that.”

He said he is working on his own career after pressing the pause button on it for so long. But his past with Nicki has hurt it a little bit more.

“A lot of people don’t wanna work with me because they don’t want it to look like they’re choosing sides,” he said. “There’s some people out there who’ll hit me up and say ‘I like you… But I don’t want to be in the middle of that.”
He made it clear, “I’m not nobody’s ex. I’m Safaree.”

Check it out.

See his debut Aug. 15 at 8/7c on VH1.