Ashanti, T.I. & Bow Wow Kick Off 2025 BET Awards With Nostalgic Ode to ‘106 & Park’

The BET Awards 2025 are packing on the nostalgia. Millennials were transported back to sitting in front of their living room televisions after school as Ashanti opened the awards show by performing “Rock Wit U” and “Foolish.”

Rocking her signature thigh-high black boots, gleaming off the Peacock Theater stage, she passed the diamond-encrusted mic to Jim Jones, who stepped out in a Celine football jersey to rock the venue with his Billboard Hot 100 top 40 hit “We Fly High (Ballin’),” which had Nick Cannon and the rest of the crowd hitting their jump shot routine.

Amerie popped out next, and she hasn’t aged a day since ’05, as she performed her “1 Thing” hit. The singer kicked off a ladies’ takeover with Mya (“Case of the Ex” ) and Keyshia Cole (“I Should Have Cheated”), belting their toxic love anthems.

T.I. may have retired his mic from performing, but he made a special exception on Culture’s Biggest Night, celebrating 25 years of the BET Awards. The Atlanta-bred pioneer rumbled through trap hits like “Bring Em Out” and “What You Know.”

It was then B2K’s turn, as the boy band reunited to infiltrate the BET Awards in all-white attire, performing their “Bump, Bump, Bump” smash.

There wouldn’t be a proper 106 reunion without Bow Wow, and the multi-hyphenate entertainer brought the energy for “Like You.” So So Def boss Jermaine Dupri also made a surprise appearance, performing “Fresh Az I’m Iz” with Bow Weezy.

106 & Park co-hosts Terrence J, Free and Julissa Bermudez also reunited onstage to pay tribute to the platform that helped springboard their entertainment careers.