Mariah Carey is the ultimate icon and wants fans to be the same. On Monday, June 9, the "Always Be My Baby" singer was honored at the 2025 BET Awards with the BET Ultimate Icon Award, and had a speech just as iconic as she.
Earlier in the evening, Carey took the stage to perform her latest single "Type Dangerous", which she released on Friday, June 6. With a gentleman on her arm, she cascaded down the stairs in a white coat before revealing a metallic gold mini dress. Carey was also joined onstage by Rakim, whose classic 1986 debut single "Eric B. Is President" she interpolated on "Type Dangerous".
Carey, 56, along with Jamie Foxx, Snoop Dogg and Kirk Franklin are recipients of the award this year, which celebrates "decades of groundbreaking contributions to music, entertainment, advocacy, and community impact". Their talents range from music and business to television and film.
She was introduced by Busta Rhymes, who waxed poetic on her impact as an artist and his love for the elusive chanteuse. "Mariah, she is not only an icon culturally for all of us, but she is the blueprint for hip-hop pop collabs before it was even cool," he said.
"If you wanted a ballad, she got you. If you need a bop and a bounce, no problem." He also quipped that if you need a song that officially signals the start of the Christmas season, she has you there as well.
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"This means so much," Carey said upon taking the stage, "especially coming from BET. And Busta, you made me a little emotional backstage, I was watching you and remembering that song. You're still one of my favorites." This marked Carey's first-ever BET Award.
"If you're gonna get one, might as well start with the Ultimate Icon Award," she joked. "But really, it's incredible to be here alongside Kirk Franklin, Jamie Foxx and Snoop, I love you guys. Congratulations. My life and career have been quite the adventure. I will spare you the long, drawn-out saga tonight. It's all in my book anyway."
"It took me a while, but I finally realized life is far too short to live for anyone else's approval, which is something I always did," she said. "So I decided to own who I am. My extraness, my fabulousness, my and yes, my success and my iconicness."
Added Carey: "I'm so grateful for you all to celebrate it with me tonight. Thank you so much. I just want to encourage everyone out there to believe in yourself. Love and respect yourself. Be a diva, be a boss, be anything you wanna be. But be iconic while you're doing it."
Along with Carey and her fellow BET Ultimate Icons, Kendrick Lamar leads the nominations this evening with 10 nods. Other nominees this year include Doechii, Drake, Future, GloRilla, Metro Boomin, SZA and The Weeknd.
(People)
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