Jamie Foxx, Mariah Carey Highlights

Mariah Carey

DJ D-Nice kicked things off by warming up the crowd and welcoming them to “Club Mariah.” Surrounded by partygoers on stage, he took everybody down memory lane by running through some of the Daydream singer’s top hits like “Fantasy,” “Honey,” and more.

The stage design matched Carey’s signature glamorous aura as a plethora of enormous “MC” monograms illuminated all around her. She sauntered down the stairs in an all-gold sequin mini dress and performed “Type Dangerous,” the lead single from her forthcoming project. “I’m lookin’ for the dangerous type/ I said I like ’em dangerous, dangerous/ Fresh outta Sing Sing, nah, I’m just playin’,” she sang in perfect pitch as Anderson .Paak killed it on the drums. She kept her movements to a minimum, emphasizing that her presence itself is the present.

Toward the end of the show, Busta Rhymes had the honor of bringing Mimi back on stage to present her with the award and speak about their relationship. He recalled how Mariah graciously collaborated with him on “I Know What You Want” and embraced him putting features on it, a moment he says makes him feel forever indebted to her. 

The woman of the hour spoke briefly, acknowledging it’s her first-ever BET Award, but “if you’re going to get one, might as well start with the ultimate icon award!” She added, “I decided to own who I am. My extra-ness, my fabulous-ness, and my iconic-ness. I appreciate it and I’m so grateful for all of you celebrating with me tonight.”

Jamie Foxx

To do Jamie Foxx’s illustrious legacy justice, BET phoned in several other legendary names to tribute his multifaceted career. Stevie Wonder handled introduction duties, charming the crowd with his wit and humor. “Jamie and I go way back… Just because you play a blind man, doesn’t mean we’re besties,” he said as the crowd roared with laughter. “Just remember, I spent tireless hours watching and editing the footage for tonight.” 

Craig Robinson wove in and out of the tribute by introducing the artists who surprised Foxx one by one, starting with Babyface and Ludacris together. Then, they ushered in his “Oscar era” with Tank and Jennifer Hudson blowing the roof off of the venue with moments from Ray.  

By this time, Foxx was in tears as he watched with awe from the crowd. The performance couldn’t end without doing his 2008 smash hit “Blame It.” Doug E. Fresh, T-Pain, and Teddy Riley took over for the song and ended the tribute with a bang. 

The Jamie Foxx Show star’s emotional acceptance speech was filled with gratitude for his journey and the people who have supported him throughout it. He spoke about his health scare from last year, saying, “When I saw the memoriam, I was like man, that could have been me. I don’t know why I went through what I went through, but I know my second chance, I’m not gonna turn down. I have so much love to give.” He also emphasized how honored he was to receive such a prestigious award from BET, adding, “The icon award means the most because it comes from us.” 

Snoop Dogg

Dr. Dre took the stage to introduce Snoop Dogg, highlighting their decades worth of friendship and collaboration throughout the years. His speech focused on Snoop’s incomparably vast career, poking fun at how he would make a hit or star in a mainstream movie and then suddenly “do sh*t like this,” as the screen pulled up a random side quest the “Gin And Juice” rapper has completed. 

He began by shouting out his fellow honorees, praising Franklin for singing at his mother’s funeral, Foxx for being down with him since before their fame, and MC for lighting up his life when he was in jail in the ‘90s. The Doggystyle creator also mentioned people who were instrumental in his career, Nate Dogg, Warren G, his Death Row family, his wife Shante and kids, and others. He credited Charlie Wilson as his “life coach” who “taught him how to get his wife back, and get his life back.” 

“Being an icon ain’t about fame, it’s about legacy. It’s about what you build, what you leave behind, and who you lift up along the way,” he said. He walked off but returned shortly after to perform his greatest hits like “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “Nuthin’ but a G’thang,” “It Ain’t No Fun” with Warren G and Kurupt, and “Beautiful” with Charlie Wilson.

Kirk Franklin

For the show’s grand finale, T.I. spoke to the bridge between gospel music and other genres, a skill Kirk Franklin mastered throughout the years. Praising him for being at the forefront of “combining the hood with hymns,” Franklin’s influence was honored for being a transformative force in the industry. 

When the God’s Property singer stepped on stage, he delivered a powerful speech thanking all the people who helped him get to where he is today, including family members, teachers, and collaborators. “I’m not person. I fail, I sin, I’m not a perfect Christian, I’m not a perfect husband, and we all know I’m not a perfect father. I’m not even a perfect artist, which makes this award even more amazing, because what I do don’t even make sense,” he said as the crowd clung onto his words. 

“And if you’re listening to this, that’s how you know it’s God, when it don’t makes sense.”

Franklin closed out the show by taking the crowd to church and performing hits like “Stomp,” “Silver & Gold,” “Melodies From Heaven,” and more, with D.C. Young Fly even joining him for a remix of “Revolution.”