If you told us Monday (June 9) night’s BET Awards were celebrating their 25th anniversary, we’d believe it in a heartbeat. They showed love to “106 & Park” — multiple times, at that — celebrated legends who defined the culture, and invited some of our current favorites to take the stage (looking at you, GloRilla and Leon Thomas).
The show broadcast live from Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater, with Kevin Hart stepping back into hosting duties for the first time in more than ten years. The night’s performances included Lil Wayne, GloRilla, Leon Thomas, who took home Best New Artist, and, against all odds, Playboi Carti.
In case you missed the 2025 BET Awards, Rap-Up recapped six of the best moments, performances, speeches, and more from the culture’s biggest night in no particular order. Take a look below.
1. Kevin Hart's Opening Monologue
The BET Awards might’ve just landed their forever-host because tapping Kevin Hart was absolutely the right call. Between him dropping F-bombs and sneaking in one joke after another, the comedian had the whole room, from GloRilla and Snoop Dogg to Kirk Franklin, cracking up.
At one point, Hart hilariously insisted on calling attendees by their legal names instead of their stage ones, starting with Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., not Lil Wayne. “Gloria Hallelujah Woods, raise your hand!” he continued, prompting the Memphis rapper to laugh and wave. “A lot of y’all expected to see a big church lady in the back selling fish plates.” Of course, Hart's comedic strays didn’t spare anyone, with Ye and Playboi Carti among those caught in the crossfire.
2. Doechii Speaking Out In Support Of The Los Angeles Protests
The 2025 BET Awards took place under especially heavy circumstances, unfolding amid Los Angeles protests sparked by city-wide immigration raids and President Donald Trump deploying over 2,000 National Guard troops to quell the unrest. Winning Best Female Hip Hop Artist, Doechii rose to the occasion admirably, using her acceptance speech to stand in solidarity with the Black and Latino communities being impacted and displaced.
“There are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities in the name of law and order. Trump is using military forces to stop a protest,” Doechii said. “I want y’all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us.”
She added, “People are being swept up and torn from their families, and I feel like it’s my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people.”
3. Lil Wayne’s ‘Tha Carter’ Medley
He might’ve missed out on performing at the Super Bowl, but there’s one stage Lil Wayne will always have a home on: the BET Awards. The New Orleans icon delivered a short-but-sweet medley from his legendary Tha Carter series, starting with a choir member reciting the thematic interlude from the sixth installment’s “King Carter.” From there, he launched into “Welcome to Tha Carter” and, as a fitting finale for the fans who’ve been with him from the start, closed things out with “A Milli.”
4. Kevin Hart Literally Handing Kendrick Lamar A Handful Of Trophies
Kendrick Lamar went into the night with the most nominations, so you just knew he wasn’t leaving empty-handed. Fortunately, it just so happened to be one of the biggest: Album of the Year. That’s right, GNX edged out Some Sexy Songs 4 U, COWBOY CARTER, Hurry Up Tomorrow, and several other fan favorites.
“SZA in the crowd. We [are] on tour right now, please come,” Lamar joked during his acceptance speech. The Compton rapper might’ve been angling for a quick getaway, but Hart hilariously shoved even more trophies into his arms (presumably for Best Collaboration, Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Video of the Year, and Video Director of the Year).
5. GloRilla Surprising The BET Awards Crowd With Keyshia Cole
“Let her cook!” If someone told us ahead of time that GloRilla would pop out in a suit — and showing cheeks — we might’ve been skeptical. But sure enough, that moment turned into one of the night’s highlights. That, and the fact that she brought out Keyshia Cole for a mash-up of “Love” and her own “Typa.” It was the perfect passing-the-baton moment between one of R&B’s longtime favorites and a rising Hip Hop leading lady.
6. Playboi Carti Performing Tracks From ‘MUSIC’
Playboi Carti has been packing stadiums with The Weeknd since May, but for the BET Awards, the spotlight was all his. The Atlanta rapper started off with a rendition of “LIKE WEEZY” before transitioning into “RATHER LIE,” with DJ Swamp Izzo chiming in on ad-libs like his life depended on it.