A Countdown of the Top 35 Moments on BET
Destiny's Child's lap dance, MJ on 106 and more.
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Just Priceless - January 25, 2015 marks 35 years since Black Entertainment Television hit the airwaves. A first of its kind, the network made history and introduced priceless moments to cable TV. With rare memories, including Aaliyah's last days, Chris Brown's on-stage break down while honoring the late Michael Jackson and Jay Z's hip hop unifying performance, the network proved that Black talent has no bounds. To show how much we've done and just how far we've come, here are the 35 best moments on BET thus far.— By Moriba Cummings and Smriti Mundhra(Photos from left: Kevin Mazur/WireImage, Ray Tamarra/Getty Images, Scott Gries/Getty Images)
Photo By Photos from left: Kevin Mazur/WireImage
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35. Crystal Aikin Wins Sunday Best Season One - Sunday Best, BET's flagship gospel singing competition, kicked off in 2007 and the first season's victory went to Washington native Crystal Aikin. After winning Sunday Best, Aikin released her self-titled debut album and is still revered as one of the premier voices in gospel music.(Photo: Royce DeGrie/Getty Images for UP Entertainment)
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34. Tyra Banks Kisses Shad Moss on 106 & Park - As if one time wasn't enough, iconic supermodel Tyra Banks planted a wet one on former 106 & Park host Shad Moss in July of 2013. Judging by how speechless the rapper seemed after the smooch, it's safe to say that Banks was an excellent kisser.(Photo: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET)
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33. Final Footage of Aaliyah Before Her Death - The BET cameras had the pleasure of shadowing the late great Aaliyah during her final video shoot before the fatal plane crash. BET's Access Granted chronicled the making of Baby Girl's video for "Rock the Boat" and premiered the clip on October 9, 2001. It was the last televised moment featuring the young singer prior to her death.(Photo: BET)
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32. Chris Brown's 106 & Park Debut - Back in the days of Julissa Bermudez and Big Tigger, a very young Chris Brown made his very first stop at BET's 106 & Park. Rocking an oversized hoodie and a matching snapback, Breezy discussed holding it down for R&B. We'd say he's done a pretty good job at that over the years.(Photo: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)
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31. Phyllis Hyman and Patti LaBelle on Video Soul - Years ago, during the old-school days of Video Soul, Phyllis Hyman organically helped create one of the most iconic moments in BET history. The R&B/soul singer hand-delivered a bouquet of roses to Patti LaBelle while she was being interviewed by Donnie Simpson. Unfortunately, on June 30, 1995, Hyman committed suicide by overdosing on prescription medication in New York City. (Photo: BET)
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30. Janet Jackson Speaks on Michael Jackson's Passing - The King of Pop died on June 25, 2009, and just three days after his passing, his sister Janet Jackson took to the stage at the 2009 BET Awards to address the world. Visibly shaken, the music icon shared some kind words about her brother, even saying that the Jackson family was too affected by the tragedy to attend the show. She ended her speech saying, "To you, Michael is an icon, to us, Michael is family."(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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29: Jay Z Promotes Hip Hop Unity at 2001 BET Awards - After performing "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" at the 2001 BET Awards, Jay Z brought a new meaning to hip hop unity. He brought a slew of rappers and hip hop heavyweights on stage with him during his performance, including Ja Rule, Snoop Dogg, Nelly and Damon Dash. It was a moment that the hip hop community remembers to this day.(Photo: Ben Rose/PictureGroup)
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28: Mo'Nique Gets "Crazy in Love" at the 2004 BET Awards - Who could forget this moment? Comedian and Oscar-winning actress Mo'Nique gave Queen Bey a run for her money when she performed her own rendition of 'Yoncé's breakout smash "Crazy in Love." Backed by a slew of full-figured back up dancers, Mo'Nique was basically flawless, and Bey definitely approved, giving her a standing ovation.(Photo: M. Caulfield/WireImage.com)
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27. MC Lyte Freestyles on Rap City - Proving that she is indeed one of the pioneers of hip hop, especially for female emcees, MC Lyte appeared on BET's Rap City in 2002 and laid down a jaw-dropping 16 bars like no other. The legendary artist's bars were backed by Big Tigger's impressive beat-boxing skills. Talent all around.(Photo: BET)
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26: BET Presents S.O.S. Saving Ourselves - Following the tragic earthquake in Haiti, celebrities from all different genres and worlds of media came together to raise money at BET's S.O.S. Saving Ourselves. From Diddy and Jay Z, to Mary J. Blige and Jazmine Sullivan, the 2010 benefit concert and telethon brought out some of the best talent the industry had to offer and managed to raise a record amount of money for the cause.(Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images)
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25: BET Presents Heal Me: Hurricane Katrina Telethon - In 2005, BET hosted the Heal Me: Hurricane Katrina telethon to help victims of the tragic natural disaster that struck New Orleans. "Heal Me" by Kelly Chapman was chosen as the promotional song for the commercials used to support the segment.(Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
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24. R. Kelly Does First Interview After Sex Tape Scandal - For the first time since being accused of engaging in sexual acts with underage girls, R. Kelly did an interview with Ed Gordon addressing the scandal. In the segment, which aired in 2002, he expressed his hopes for his fans to stick by him and confirmed to the world that he is not a criminal.(Photo: BET)
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23. Destiny's Child's Lap Dance at the 2005 BET Awards - DC had the fellas sweating at the 2005 BET Awards when they gave Terrence Howard, Nelly and Magic Johnson a lap dance. Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, dressed in skin-tight flesh-toned dresses, belted out their Destiny Fulfilled hit "Cater 2 U" while working it for the cameras.(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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22. Chris Brown Breaks Down Onstage - Chris Brown had a moment during the 2010 BET Awards, where he broke down and shed tears while performing a tribute to the late Michael Jackson. Singing the King of Pop's smash "Man in the Mirror," Breezy lost it before receiving a standing ovation from the crowd. The King of Pop was undoubtedly Brown's main musical inspiration.(Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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21. Keke Palmer Makes History - Keke Palmer dominated 2014, making it one of the biggest years of her career. Not only was she cast as the first Black Cinderella on Broadway, but she became the youngest talk show host in history with Just Keke, which aired exclusively on BET. The young star's vibrant personality made the show a huge hit among millennials everywhere.(Photo: Tracylynne Williams/BET)
Photo By Photo: Tracylynne Williams/BET
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20. AJ and Free Leave 106 & Park - From 2000 to 2005, AJ Calloway and Marie "Free" Wright served as the original hosts of 106 & Park. After helping build the 106 brand, the duo tearfully said their goodbyes on July 28, 2005. Their fan bases continue to be some of the most loyal among any of the hosts in the show's history.(Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)
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19. BET News Airs Justice for Ferguson: A Community Reacts - In light of the murder of Michael Brown in 2014, protests all over the country ensued, especially in the teen's hometown of Ferguson, Missouri. To chronicle the community's reaction for the world to see, BET aired a news special titled Justice for Ferguson: A Community Reacts showing the socially-charged community marching for justice.(Photo: BET)
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18. Black Girls Rock! Kicks Off - Former DJ and model Beverly Bond created the platform Black Girls Rock! to empower women of color around the world. Ranging from the world of music to philanthropy, the ceremony, which launched in November 2010, covers every woman.(Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
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17. Jay Z Freestyles on Rap City - Hov made an appearance on RC in 2003 when his "final" album was set to drop, initially recycling a verse or two before busting out a Nas diss in freestyle form. "You should know, if you gon' do something and you go to radio, we all know you fronting!" Jay then dropped the mic with, "Mobsters, opt to, not get in beef/There's no business in it, it only brings police." (Photo: BET)
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16. Michael Jackson Appears on 106 & Park - Hosts Free and AJ went to Times Square to interview the King of Pop at the Virgin Megastore in November 2001. Clad in an electric blue satin suit, Jackson talked about his new album Invincible and debuted his video for "You Rock My World" on the show.(Photo: KMazur/WireImage)
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15. Jennifer Hudson Channels Whitney Houston at BET Honors - It takes a brave woman to cover Whitney Houston's greatest hit "I Will Always Love You," and J. Hud was up to the task at the 2010 BET Honors, where she sang to the singer. Whitney famously cheered for Hudson, who would sing the song again at the Grammys when Whitney passed away a nearly two years later.(Photo: Kris Connor/Getty Images)
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14. Baldwin Hills Is a Ratings Hit - BET's 2007 reality series about the Haves and Have Nots of the area known as the "Black Beverly Hills" was a ratings smash. The show was critically-acclaimed as "the real deal" in a television landscape littered with non-fiction programming.(Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
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13. College Hill Resonates With Black TV Audiences - This coed reality series set in the world of HBCUs became cable's number one original series among Black households and young Black men and women. The series, which premiered in 2004 and was produced by Babyface and Tracey Edmonds, was not without its controversies, but ultimately provided a glimpse into Black university life.(Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
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12. The Game Scores a Ratings Upset - After getting cancelled by the CW, The Game came to BET in 2011 and commanded the highest ratings in show history with an average of 7.7 million viewers — the biggest numbers for any cable network. And the success only continued from there with the addition of new cast members Lauren London, Jay Ellis and Brandy.(Photo: BET)
Photo By Photo: BET
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11. Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is Blows Up - The R&B singer's docu-series triumphed in 2014 as the number one series telecast in BET history. More than 2.9 million viewers and 2.0 million households tuned in. (Photo: BET)
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10. Tiny & Toya Makes BET History - 1.8 million viewers tuned in every week to watch the adventures of these two hip hop wives. The 2009 docu-series about the women behind T.I. and Lil Wayne was the top-rated original series in BET history at the time. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)
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9. Heavy D Performs for the Last Time at BET Hip Hop Awards - Hip hop icon Heavy D hit the stage at the BET Hip Hop Awards in 2011 in Atlanta for what would be the final performance of his life. Performing a medley of his classic hits, including "Is It Good to You" and "The Overweight Lover," D had everyone standing in the venue. A month later, the rapper died from a pulmonary embolism.(Photo: Chris McKay/Getty Images)
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8: Chris Rock Guest Stars on Real Husbands of Hollywood - You might expect the universe to implode when two of the biggest names in comedy appear in the same room, but the combustible energy of Chris Rock and Kevin Hart instead gave us pure comedy gold. The episode, which aired in 2014, consisted of a fame-off between the two funnymen, but Rock pretty much shut it down with this line: "I'm like Princ, and you're, like, Trey Songz."(Photo: BET)
Photo By Photo: BET
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7: Ice Cube, Mack 10 Talk Violence in Hip Hop on Teen Summit - Ice Cube and Mack 10 sent a strong message to the music industry and hip hop fans that it was time for a ceasefire in the East Coast/West Coast hip hop wars. In the 1996 segment, Cube used 2Pac as a cautionary tale of what could happen if beef was taken too far. The message of the show was most definitely unity.(Photo: BET)
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