Reality Resurrections

Music stars who've made a comeback via TV.

Peter Gunz - Best know for the 1996 hip hop classic "Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)" (when he was one half of Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz), Pete got a taste of Haterade when he landed on this season of Love & Hip Hop. But this is the age of the cross-platform rapper who can build (or rebuild) his/her celebrity even via reality TV. Here's a look at former music stars who re-established their fame via reality TV. (Photo: VH1)

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Peter Gunz - Best know for the 1996 hip hop classic "Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)" (when he was one half of Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz), Pete got a taste of Haterade when he landed on this season of Love & Hip Hop. But this is the age of the cross-platform rapper who can build (or rebuild) his/her celebrity even via reality TV. Here's a look at former music stars who re-established their fame via reality TV. (Photo: VH1)

Stevie J - Producer and Love & Hip Hop reality star Stevie J has become known for his sexual romps, like the one time he and his wife/girlfriend Joseline Hernandez exposed raunchy details of their ménage à trois in a joint radio interview in 2012.(Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET)

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Stevie J - At the height of Stevie J's former celebrity, he was hip hop's star producer, crafting most of Notorious B.I.G.'s biggest-selling LP, Life After Death LP. He'd been out of the spotlight until 2012, when he joined the reality TV show Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta. After scrapping with rapper Scrappy, flashing his pouting pimp smile, and smacking his artist Joseline, Stevie J became a reality TV star. (Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET)

Flavor Flav, @FlavorFlav - Tweet: "#‪#ATTENTION!!#‪#ATTENTION!!!Adam Silver kiks the KKK out of the NBA!!! YAYEE!!!!!Ding dong the witch is dead!!!!By by Sterling!!!  FLAV"In his signature style, Flavor Flav celebrates NBA commissioner Adam Silver's decision to ban Donald Sterling from the professional basketball league for life. #YeahBoy!(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Flavor Flav - During hip hop music's golden age in the late '80s/early '90s, Flavor Flav was a member of the politically-charged hip hop supergroup Public Enemy. Then, following a public battle with drugs and a slew of arrests, the jester of PE found his return ticket to stardom via an appearance on the reality TV hit Surreal Life. He was such a personality, he wound up with his own hit reality TV show, Flavor of Love.  (Photo:  Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Toni and Tamar Braxton - Toni Braxton was once R&B's reigning pop princess, belting '90s cuts like "Love Shoulda Brought You Home," "Another Sad Love Song" and "Breathe Again." Sister Tamar was struggling to catch up as a celebrity. The debut of the celebrity reality show Braxton Family Values gave Toni a boost and launched Tamar into a pop culture favorite.  (Photo: Tiffany Rose/WireImage)

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Toni and Tamar Braxton - Toni Braxton was once R&B's reigning pop princess, belting '90s cuts like "Love Shoulda Brought You Home," "Another Sad Love Song" and "Breathe Again." Sister Tamar was struggling to catch up as a celebrity. The debut of the celebrity reality show Braxton Family Values gave Toni a boost and launched Tamar into a pop culture favorite. (Photo: Tiffany Rose/WireImage)

Kandi Burruss - Before joining the runaway reality TV hit Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2008, Kandi, a former member of the female singing group Xscape, was also a star songwriter/producer who crafted pop smashes like TLC's "No Scrubs" and Destiny Child's "Bills, Bills, Bills."(Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images)

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Kandi Burruss - Before joining the runaway reality TV hit Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2008, Kandi, a former member of the female singing group Xscape, was also a star songwriter/producer who crafted pop smashes like TLC's "No Scrubs" and Destiny Child's "Bills, Bills, Bills."(Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images)

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Ray J - Being the younger brother of former R&B prodigy Brandy, Ray made several attempts to move from his big sister's shadow. He launched his own attempt at R&B stardom in the '90s. After his infamous sex tape with Kim Kardashian, Ray found the road to major celebrity when he landed the reality series For the Love of Ray J in 2009.   (Photo: WENN.com)

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Ray J - Being the younger brother of former R&B prodigy Brandy, Ray made several attempts to move from his big sister's shadow. He launched his own attempt at R&B stardom in the '90s. After his infamous sex tape with Kim Kardashian, Ray found the road to major celebrity when he landed the reality series For the Love of Ray J in 2009.  (Photo: WENN.com)

Reverend Run @RevRunWisdom - Tweet: "Loving yourself is the key to letting go of bad relationships. When you love yourself you take crap from NO 1 #MANOLOGY"Reverend Run shares insights from his new book, which he co-wrote with Tyrese, entitled Manology: Secrets of Your Man’s Mind Revealed.(Photo: PNP/ WENN.com)

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Rev Run - As one-third of the pioneering hip hop music group Run-DMC, the good reverend helped trail blaze and set the blueprint for today's hip hop industry. But following the breakup of the group (due to DJ Jam Master Jays's murder), Run needed an outlet to reflect on his commitment to his Christian faith and his family. With the debut of his hit reality series, Run's House, in 2005, the hip hop icon got his wish.   (Photo: PNP/ WENN.com)

Coolio - In 1995, this Compton-born rhymer became hip hop music's biggest pop act with the smash "Gangsta's Paradise." Then he dropped from the celebrity radar. That is, until reality TV came calling. First, an appearance on Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off and then this year's memorable stint on Celebrity Wife Swap.(Photo:  Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

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Coolio - In 1995, this Compton-born rhymer became hip hop music's biggest pop act with the smash "Gangsta's Paradise." Then he dropped from the celebrity radar. That is, until reality TV came calling. First, an appearance on Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off and then this year's memorable stint on Celebrity Wife Swap.(Photo:  Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Bobby Brown - R&B bad boy Bobby Brown poses for a snap between interviews with various radio outlets.(Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for BET)

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Bobby Brown - A member of the veteran R&B vocal group New Edition and a solo megastar, Bobby Brown was married to Whitney Houston (and far from his past music celebrity) when he debuted his classic reality TV series Being Bobby Brown, relaunching his star power in the process.   (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for BET)

Photo By Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for BET

Salt-N-Pepa - Iconic femcees Cheryl "Salt" James and Sandra "Pepa" Denton experienced the zenith of their fame in the early '90s when they scored the crossover hits "Shoop" and "Whatta Man." Looking for a boost to their brand, S-N-P joined the ranks of celebrity reality TV stars when they broke out their Salt-N-Pepa Show series.(Photo:  John Parra/Getty Images for 'bethenny')

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Salt-N-Pepa - Iconic femcees Cheryl "Salt" James and Sandra "Pepa" Denton experienced the zenith of their fame in the early '90s when they scored the crossover hits "Shoop" and "Whatta Man." Looking for a boost to their brand, S-N-P joined the ranks of celebrity reality TV stars when they broke out their Salt-N-Pepa Show series.(Photo:  John Parra/Getty Images for 'bethenny')