Every ‘106 & Park’ Music Video Retired In The Hall Of Fame

Ashanti — “Foolish”

Ashanti‘s eponymously named LP dropped in 2002 to massive commercial success, resulting in the work landing atop the Billboard 200. But before the triple-platinum certification and the numerous end-of-the-year accolades, there was “Foolish.” “Foolish” dropped before the LP and served as the lead single for the Murder Inc. project.

The single would prove to be an instant fan-favorite, with the song hitting the charts in 15 nations across the world, including the coveted No. 1 spot on the Billboard 100. But on 106 & Park, Ashanti’s video was king, or better yet, queen. The video was voted as the No. 1 video on the show a staggering 60 times, landing it in the Hall of Fame, and promptly retired from Countdown.

Romeo — “My Baby”

Romeo‘s “My Baby” was his debut single and, to this day, is still the most successful record in his career. The music video was a major hit with fans, as the joint was oft-voted to 106 & Park’s Top 10 Countdown. The Jackson 5-sampling track was so beloved that it eventually found its way into 106 & Park’s coveted Video Hall of Fame.

Lil Flip — “Game Over”

Lil Flip, the self-proclaimed “Leprechaun,” had two of his videos retired on the Countdown and both records came from his third studio album, U Gotta Feel Me. 2003’s “Game Over,” which was the subject of a lawsuit by Namco for sampling Pac-Man, and “Sunshine” featuring Lea, received music videos and were in heavy rotation on 106.

Keri Hilson — “Knock You Down”

Keri Hilson caught one with “Knock You Down,” the fourth single from her 2009 effort, In a Perfect World. The song featured both Ne-Yo and Kanye West and discusses the topic of love so inescapable and consuming that it “knocks you down.” Hilson’s music video, directed by Chris Robinson, took the subject a bit further, with scenes depicting the artists being knocked down in widescreen shots to represent how deep in love the character was.

106 & Park gobbled the video up, and after 60 No. 1 spot entries, Terrence and Rocsi announced that they were officially retiring the video. The duo interviewed Keri Hilson live on the show about the milestone, and asked her if she knew it was going to “be a monster hit that it is.” Keri responded by saying that she did and that “this was one of the rare times that I called the hit.”

“I heard this without Kanye and Ne-Yo, I heard the track and it….was an amazing record. I said ‘This is a hit, I have to do this.’ And my album was already about to close, but I fought to record this song and finish it,” Hilson said during the show.

Bow Wow — “Let Me Hold You”

Bow Wow‘s reign on 106 & Park is what led him to be dubbed “Mr. 106 & Park.” And his track, “Let Me Hold You,” was a perfect example of this. The track served as the first single from his fourth studio album, Wanted, and offered a more grown-up and mature interpretation of his artistry at that time. “Let Me Hold You” featured Omarion, at the suggestion of Jermaine Dupri, and was built upon Luther Vandross‘ 1985 cover of “If Only for One Night,” originally by Brenda Russell. The music video, much like the song and the album, was a hit, being voted to 106‘s Countdown No. 1 spot 60 times before being retired in the Hall of Fame.

But “Let Me Hold You” wasn’t the only track from Bow Wow that ended up being retired. As mentioned, the multihyphenate would dominate the 106 & Park charts throughout the show’s existence. Tracks such as “That’s My Name,” “Take Ya Home,” “Puppy Love,” “Thank You,” “Let’s Get Down,” and “My Baby” were all retired into the Hall of Fame, giving Bow the record for most retired videos in the show’s history. So, I guess it only made sense that the entertainer would then pivot and eventually become 106’s new host in 2013.

Chingy — “Holidae In”

Chingy’s “Holidae In” was one of them joints that had 106 in a chokehold. The track featured his Disturbing Tha Peace boss, Ludacris, and Snoop Dogg, and was a hedonistic ode to hotel parties and beautiful women. Chingy’s visuals were directed by an independent film director named Jeremy Ralls, who also shot videos for Floetry and Snoop.

Visuals depict three men having a blast in a suite with various shots referencing pop culture, such as The Brady Bunch and Spike Lee’s “Double Dolly Shot.” 106 & Park’s fans loved the video and it was eventually retired from The Countdown.

Mary J. Blige — “Be Without You”

Mary J. Blige‘s “Be Without You” is still one of the Hall of Fame singer’s most commercially successful singles, with the song peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 100.

Visuals for the Grammy award-winning track took the emotional number to new heights, as MJB pleaded with her lover that she couldn’t live without them deep in the throes of love colored in a Black and white filter. The video was directed by Matthew Rolston, the same eye behind the video for 1995’s “I’m Going Down,” and shot in a home previously owned by Frank Sinatra. Terrence Howard portrayed Blige’s love interest in the video, as the two trade emotional performances echoing the song’s composition and weight.

“Be Without You” was a hit on 106, landing the visual into the Hall of Fame.

Ginuwine — “Differences”

“Differences” was another retired music video on the beloved music program. Ginuwine‘s certified gold single was given a music video, directed by the acclaimed Hype Williams, and featured a special effects-heavy direction. As the song is essentially a love letter to his wife, the singer recalled Hype telling him that the video has to be “heartfelt,” so they came up with the idea to have the visuals depict him “talking to God.”

“Actually, the game plan going into [the shoot] was [to] talk to God,” G told MTV News. “Williams was like, ‘Look man this gotta be heartfelt. People gotta know you mean this.’ He was saying, ‘The only way they’re gonna know you’re meaning it is if you close your eyes and you just talk to God.’ I was very skeptical about it ’cause I was just [in front of] a green screen all day. I just had to imagine – he was just telling me what is gonna be where.”

Fans of 106 & Park felt that sincerity and voted the song as the best video of the week, so much so that it had to be immortalized in the show’s Hall of Fame.

Keyshia Cole — “Love”

“Love” was and still is Keyshia Cole‘s signature song. The track served as the fourth and final single for her breakthrough debut album, The Way It Is. “Love” follows Cole offering her love and sincerity to her boyfriend, although she feels deep inside that she isn’t good enough for his reciprocated feelings. Benny Boom took the song and made a mini-film out of it, depicting the story of a woman who suspects that her man is living a double life as a criminal mastermind. Tyrese plays the man in the video and finds himself giving up his criminal ways to lead an honest life with her. The song would eventually be retired on the show after being featured in the top spot 65 times.

Ja Rule — “Put It On Me”

The second single from Ja Rule‘s sophomore album, Rule 3:36, “Put It On Me” was HOT. “Put It On Me” featured an assist from Lil’ Mo singing her heart out on the chorus and bridge and included production from Irv Gotti and Tru Stylze. The record would peak at No. 8 on the Billboard 100 and land at No. 1 on the US Rhythmic charts.

Inspired by an argument with his wife, Ja Rule created accompanying visuals for the track showing a character being arrested and then separated from his woman. The time away shows Rule how much he needs his lady, with the two finally reuniting at the end. Fun fact: Ja Rule is the first artist to have a music video retired into the Video Hall of Fame with “Put It On Me.”

Marques Houston — “Naked”

In hindsight, Marques Houston‘s 2005 sophomore album may not have been that memorable. However, the album did have a couple of joints on it, with one of them being “Naked.” The music video, which appears to pay homage to D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel?) visuals, features the singer naked and half-nakedly professing his love for his partner. Houston’s steamy visuals resonated with 106‘s audience, landing atop the Countdown so much that was eventually retired.

50 Cent — “In Da Club”

50 Cent is another rap artist who has had multiple videos retired on BET’s popular show. Fiddy’s debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, was a blockbuster album upon release in February 2003. The LP’s release was sandwiched in between two of its biggest singles in “In Da Club,” released in January, and “21 Questions,” which hit the streets in March. Accompanying videos for both singles were also released, and massive success was found on 106 & Park. So much so, that both music videos were retired back to back after they met the requirements to be immortalized.

Aaliyah — “More Than A Woman”

Aaliyah‘s “More Than A Woman” became uber-popular after its release in September 2001. The single was issued to radio just a month after Babygirl’s untimely death, with a groundbreaking visual to help promote the timeless art.

The iconic director, Dave Meyers, created the visuals for the song, with a large portion of the visuals taking place in a motorcycle’s engine, with the choreography acting as the “energy” for the vehicle. In the video, Rashida and Kidada Jones make cameos with DJ Mark Ronson spinning the Red Album throughout the club scene. The video caught fire with 106’s audience in the aftermath of her death, and the video would appear at No. 1 until it was eventually retired. Aaliyah’s success on the program also earned her the nickname, “Ms. 106 & Park.”

Chamillionaire — “Ridin’”

Chamillionaire struck gold — or platinum — with his hit song, “Ridin,’” when it was released as a single for his 2005 album, The Sound of Revenge. The song details racial profiling, police brutality, driving while Black, and the corrupt justice system in America. Both Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone offer memorable contributions to the track, with the video, directed by Bryan Barber, driving home the concepts introduced in their bars.

Barber uses juxtaposing shots of pro wrestling moves and gimmicks alongside police behavior to show how foolish their actions are. The video also features an array of guest stars, such as Timmy Lister Jr., Chingo Bling, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, and Chamillionaire’s younger cousin, Raqah. “Ridin” would eventually be retired on 106 & Park was the last visual retired in the show’s history.