Peter Gunz is well known in New York hip-hop circles and is credited for the Bronx-inspired anthem “Déjà Vu (Uptown Baby)” along with his partner, Lord Tariq, during the mid-’90s.
Unfortunately, his reputation in the industry is overshadowed by his role on the popular Vh1 reality show Love & Hip Hop, as he is now notorious for being in a complicated relationship with the mother of his children, Tara Wallace, while being secretly married to the artist he manages, Amina Buddafly.
In fact, many Love & Hip Hop viewers have become convinced that Gunz, Wallace and Buddafly were all putting on a scripted drama for the cameras.
However, during a recent interview with Gunz, he assured theGrio that wasn’t the case and his portrayal on television was “pretty accurate.” Although he is aware that his actions were unethical, believe it or not, he confirmed that he did secretly marry Buddafly during his on-and-off-again relationship with Wallace and admitted to being in love with both women.
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“Tara and I were in a weird place and in that place she thought I needed space. She didn’t know we were at the end of the road,” Gunz explained. “In my mind, she was saying, ‘I don’t care what he’s doing I just need him here to help out with these bills and these kids and he can leave when I come.’ To me, it wasn’t that much thought into the relationship until the Amina thing came out and that’s when all the emotions came back. Had I known that [Tara] had those type of emotions, it would have never been Amina.”
As a man of color living his life in the public eye, Gunz is well aware of how his actions are portrayed on television, especially in the eyes of the African-American community.
“I’m aware that as a black man in the black community, we are setting some bad examples on how to treat our women,” Gunz explained. “One day, I went to see 12 Years A Slave at the same time Love & Hip Hop was coming on. I went to see the movie to get away from Love & Hip Hop because at the time I was disgusted with the way I was looking on television. After seeing the movie, I came out more depressed than watching Love & Hip Hop because I’m like ‘your people went through all of that and you go on TV and act a fool.'”
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If there could be any positive light shed on such a complicated situation, it would be the platform that Gunz now has to share his story with the world.
“It takes someone to stand up and get better. I have to be a better man if I expect my son and my nephew to be better. Some days I have my regrets. Hopefully I can come on next season and show people that I’m a better man because that’s what I’m working toward.”
So what’s next for Peter Gunz? Gunz assured theGrio that he had no plans on stopping anytime soon.
“I want to get Corey Gunz and Amina off the ground. I’m managing a young kid who plays Michael Jackson in the Motown: The Musical on Broadway. One of my goals is to be a radio personality somewhere playing old-school hip-hop.” And as for a possible Peter Gunz and Lord Tariq reunion, “Tariq and I are in the studio as we speak! I told him to dust off his old uniform!”
What do you think of Peter Gunz’s relationship on Love & Hip Hop?