More Than 20 Facts About Somaya Reece - A Survivor and Influential Woman

Rapper and internet sensation Somaya Reece aka La Jefais one of the first original cast in VH1's Love & Hip Hop New York (LHHNY) including Olivia Longott, Emily Bustamante, and Chrissy Lampkin. 

She was in seasons one and two of LHHNY and later returned to the show on the 8th season as a guest and as a supporting cast in the 10th season.

Let's unravel more facts about her that you might not know.

Background

Somaya Reece's real name or birth name is Ginie Castro. Her parents were immigrants from El Salvador and they were living in poverty. Her mother was abusive to her and her father was an alcoholic.

Her childhood was extremely harsh and she got into some bad friends circle and got in trouble multiple times. She used to do gang life but later turned her life around after a few bad incidents that happened to her. 

Was Shot and Stabbed Twice

Somaya was once totally involved in local gangs and fighting in the streets. During her gang year, she was stabbed twice and shot too. Those were the real dark days of her life. 

In the end, she survived and started a new life. 

Was in an Abusive Relationship during Her Teenage

When Reece was young and vulnerable, she was dating a very abusive boyfriend who used to beat her. She has to fight him off every time and save her face. 

For Reece, it seems like there was no way out of that relationship because she tried to break up with him more than a couple of times. But, whenever she wanted to break things with her boyfriend, he used to get aggressive and beat her. 

The last time she wanted to get rid of him, he nearly killed her and was pounding her head into the ground. Luckily, she survived. 

Her abusive boyfriend's motto was "If she couldn't be his, she would not be anybody's"

This incident made Reece hate all other men because she saw him in every man. This leads her to date many females later in her life. 

Pregnant With an Abusive Boyfriend

Reece was pregnant when she was just 15 and her boyfriend was 30. Abusive but that man was the only person in this entire world for her because she was broken in every way possible.  

Actually, Somaya ran away from her home because of an alcoholic father and a verbally abusive mother. But she has to return home after being pregnant because her boyfriend went to Mexico for supposed work just to get rid of her. 

Returning to her home made it worse for her, as her own mother didn't accept her and kicked her out of the house. This resulted in her being homeless for a while. 

She has no choice but to live in her boyfriend's parent's house.

Death of her Son

Despite all the trouble she faced in her life, Reece gave birth to her son. But the joy and happiness of her motherhood were about to end tragically. Her kid was poisoned to death.

Somaya has only mentioned the incident a few times in her career because it is very hard for her to talk about it. Though when she talked, she mentioned that her son was poisoned and he took her last breath in her arms. 

The autopsy result showed that her son was poisoned and her motherly instincts says that it was her boyfriend who did that heinous crime.

August 11 was the date when her son died and, she will remember this day. 

Music Gave her Life

Reece was once in the worst situation a person can face and since she has lived on her own from age 10. With all the bad things that have happened to her, she is thankful that music gave her life. 

She began her musical journey in New York, which sounds very competitive. It was MySpace days and she became an instant hit there. Her music was her struggles that many listeners would relate to her.

First Song

Reece's debut song was "Mira Mi Pum Pum" which ranked in Latino Top 20 Countdown and was played more than three million times on Latino radio 96.3

But her biggest success on YouTube on her channel "missreecemusic" was the song "Would You Still Love Me" with her ex-boyfriend XO.

She gave other hits like Tramp, Descontrol, and Party With the World.

Breakthrough from LHHNY

After her success in music, at least very successful in the Big Apple. This resulted her in becoming influential on other social media platforms too. 

In 2011, her musical popularity landed her on the first cast of Love and Hip Hop: New York (LHHNY). This was the breakthrough in her career as the show was extremely popular among Hip Hop Lovers.

But, she didn't return to LHHNY in the second season but appeared later. In season 2 Sexxy Lexxy and Miss Mo Money was an unofficial cast.

Dated Rapper Joe Budden

Let's come to Somaya Reece's love life. 

In 2009, two years before LHHNY, she was dating New Jersey rapper Joe Budden but their relationship couldn't last more than a year. In 2012, they broke up blaming each other. 

Reece said that she has never met a man more abusive in her life than her father. 

Reece explained their relationship in a podcast show and publicly talked all about it. She said that Budden initially was very funny and outgoing when he proposed to her to be his girlfriend and she agreed.

But later, he was verbally and mentally abusive to her and she has to endure so much being in a relationship with her. It really looks like she is always falling into toxic relationships all the time.

Despite all this, she doesn't want us to see Joe Budden as a bad person but rather to realize that he has a deep-rooted problem.

Once Engaged With Lady Luck

Somaya Reece was once engaged to marry wit Shanell "Lady Luck" Jones which was all documented in the "First Family of Hip Hop" reality TV show on BRAVO TV. 

In 2017, on March 19, Lady Luck proposed to marry Reece with a diamond ring and she said YES!

But, like her other relationships, this story has a tragic end too. 

They had been engaged and bought a house together where Somaya had put lots of money and energy just to find out that she was being cheated on by Lady Luck. 

Reece was being used by her fiancee. Fans were already speculating this but she was a bit late to find out and ended their engagement in 2018.

Dated Rapper Cisco Rosado

In 2019, Somaya Reece and Cisco Rosado started dating after her break up with Lady Luck. 

Reece has started her Get Slim Tea business and was starting to build her own brand. During that time, Rosado also took an interest in her business. At one point, these business partners started to see real-life partners in each other. 

Somaya once mentioned that Cisco is actually very friendly than his appearance on TV.

It is confirmed that later they broke up, but the real reason has not been publicly addressed by any one of them and looks like an amicable breakup. 

Relationship With Rapper XO

Somaya Reece was also in a long-term relationship with Rapper XO who is also known as Scipio and break up around 2011. 

It's been said that they dated from 2002-2011 but that is not true because Reece was in a relationship with Joe Budden in 2009. 

But it is confirmed that they dated.

Somaya and XO also did music together "Would You Still Love Me" in 2011.

Kissed Jessica White on Bubble Bath

I kissed a girl and I like it! It happed once with Jessica White.

On an episode of "Famously Single" 2016 Somaya Reece and Jessica White took a steamy hot bubble bath and suddenly started kissing. This was totally unexpected for the viewers but they were flattering each other since earlier episodes. 

Even though they kissed, they have made clear to the fans that they have not gone to bed together.

Dated Kevin Risto aka Dirty Swift

Somaya Reece and Dirty Swift dated from 2011 to 2016. It's not been confirmed how they broke up but they did.

Because after 2016 Reese was famously single. 

Five Months Relationship With Kellan Lutz

Reece was in a relationship with Kellan Lutz before she was in a relationship with Budden. 

Reece and Lutz dated for five months and broke up in 2009.

Crush on Rapper Latto

Somaya once hinted that she has a crush on Rapper Latto.  On her social media, she put a picture of Latto and said that she wouldn't mind if Latto sat on her face. 

Breast Reduction Surgery

In 2012, Reece underwent breast reduction surgery which she was part of LHHNY. 

Due to her plastic surgery transformation to look slim, she almost missed half of the show. 

Also, It's not unusual for LAHH stars to transform their body going under the knife. Kimbella Matos has done surgeries too.

Tattoos

Reece has two tattoos on her body, one on her chest and one on her ankle. 

Somaya's chest tattoo says "My Life is My Message" which is pretty much symbolic of all the incidents she has gone through in her life. 

Her ankle tattoo is of live shape and something written on it which is not clear.

Birthday

Reece's birthday is on June 17 and she was born in 1983. She is a Gemini.

On her 40th birthday in 2023, she shared her CashApp scanner with her fans on Twitter if they wanted to make her birthday special. 

Net Worth

From Somaya Reece's journey from rapper to actor and businesswoman, she has a net worth of $5 million. 

She has already appeared on multiple reality shows like LAHH, First Family of Hip Hop, and Famously Single. 

Furthermore, she has started her Get Slim tea business and This Fits Me Bath which sells skincare and bath products. 

Car

With all that net worth, she has bought more than one car for herself. She has a White Hummer and Black Mercedes but she has an eye for Bentley. 

Businesses of Somaya Reece

Reece is very active in business too. Whatever she is, she is not lazy. 

Get Slim Tea

Somaya is actively and consistently promoting her Get Slim Tea business. She claims that her tea will help its drinkers lose weight fast and gives the product credit for her weight loss too. 

There are enough testimonials from her users all over her Instagram claiming that the product really helped her. Reece regularly posts the before and after weights of her clients.

This Fits Me Bath

"This Fits Me Bath" is another product launched by Reece which sells cosmetic products, skin care products, and other bath items. 

This business is targeting female customers only.

Weight Loss

Somaya Reece has been successful in losing her weight from size 18 to 8 which is a massive change. 

She used to have an eating disorder and other unhealthy habits which caused her dysmorphia, anorexia nervosa to bulimia. 

But what can't we achieve when we are goal-oriented, right?

Reece then changed her unhealthy habits to healthy which took a great effort. Finally, she overcame and won.

Modeling

Reece is a multi-talented personality and besides music and acting, she has aced on modeling too. 

She has modeled for multiple magazines including Playboy. You can find her on the cover page of many influential magazines. 

Reece's photoshoots are all exotic and mostly bikini and lingerie focused.

Idol Persona for more LHHNY stars and their information