When the cast of “Love & Hip-Hop” set out to discover their roots, they thought they knew what to expect.

But, as the recent special “Lineage to Legacy” revealed, Rich Dollaz, Yandy Smith-Harris, Karlie Redd, and Paris Phillips uncovered some of the most incredible surprises about their backgrounds — and realized that their backgrounds had many elements that can (and should) bring them pride.

A recent report by The Washington Post revealed that the majority of Black Americans — that is, those who are part of the African diaspora, though common parlance suggests that they are ADOS or African Descendants of Slaves — cannot trace their lineage back further than the 1870s.

That’s because prior to the end of the Civil War, Black people weren’t considered people in the eyes of the law.

But thanks to advances in DNA technology, the cast of “Love & Hip-Hop” (amongst other Black Americans) are able to trace their genetic lineage back to Africa — and even if they don’t know the exact name of their first-ever paterfamilias, they know where their story begins.

For the “Love & Hip-Hop” cast, their quest to discover their lineage came with the help of DNA Identity Expert Dr. Gina Paige, who is the co-founder of AfricanAncestry.com.

AfroTech had an exclusive opportunity to talk to the cast of “Love & Hip-Hop” about their discoveries and findings, and the biggest takeaway they received from their results.

Editorial note: Portions of this interview have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Love & Hip-Hop

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