106 & Park 20th Anniversary: A Look Back At Some Of The Show’s Best Moments

Relive some of the show’s greatest moments.

106 & Park Turns 20 - Since its launch in 2000, 106 & Park has shaped a whole generation’s relationship with music. Packed with appearances from the hottest stars in R&B and hip-hop, the show quickly became a staple for those embedded in hip hop culture as the go-to after-school fix. 106 & Park tracked the transition between eras in music and Black culture until it went off air in 2014, when it moved to an online-only format. Even still, 106 & Park’s legacy still lives on. In commemoration of its 20th anniversary, we’re taking a look back at some of the show’s greatest moments.  (Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
Aaliyah’s final televised interview - The music industry has never fully moved past the sudden loss of R&B’s princess Aaliyah, who was taken too soon in a 2001 plane crash while leaving the Bahamas after filming the music video for “Rock The Boat.” In what would be her last televised performance, Aaliyah was on 106 & Park to discuss acting in Queen of the Damned, her self-titled album, living in Australia, and her future plans. Tragically, she passed away four days after the interview aired. (Photo by Evan Agostini/ImageDirect)
The Cash Money/Young Money takeover  - In the early 2000s, you couldn’t name a bigger rap crew than Young Money. Catapulted by the mainstream breakout success of Lil Wayne, the Southern rap delegation had the streets and airwaves on lock. Weezy and Birdman have gone on to cement a spot in hip-hop’s history in their own right. But, there will never quite be another era in music like the Cash Money/Young Money takeover. (Photo by Jemal Countess/WireImage for BET Network)That time Jay-Z declared he was retiring - Hip hop has no shortage of inspirational rag-to-riches stories, but few feel as epic as Jay-Z’s. In 2003, Hov famously declared that The Black Album would be his final album and he would be bowing out of the rap game to focus on his other business ventures. This was one of his last promo appearances before “retirement.” The cards didn’t quite fall that way, of course. But Jigga did manage to turn his music into an empire that earned him the distinction of hip-hop’s first billionaire over a decade later. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/WireImage)

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106 & Park Turns 20 - Since its launch in 2000, 106 & Park has shaped a whole generation’s relationship with music. Packed with appearances from the hottest stars in R&B and hip-hop, the show quickly became a staple for those embedded in hip hop culture as the go-to after-school fix. 106 & Park tracked the transition between eras in music and Black culture until it went off air in 2014, when it moved to an online-only format. Even still, 106 & Park’s legacy still lives on. In commemoration of its 20th anniversary, we’re taking a look back at some of the show’s greatest moments.  (Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

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