The 15 most memorable moments in BET Awards history

Just a few days left until BET's annual salute to black innovators, entertainers, artists, athletes, and role models airs on Sunday June 25th -- and if previous years are any indication, it will be full of moments that will have you buzzing around the office for weeks to come. So, as an appetizer, here is a smorgasbord of the wildest, best, and most memorable moments from the BET awards over the years.

In 2003, two legends met onstage. The King of Pop was tasked with the ultimate responsibility of giving the King of Soul a lifetime achievement award at the BET Awards. What resulted was an unforgettable, genuine, and heartwarming moment. 

Bilal. Stevie Wonder. Janelle Monae. Maxwell. The Roots. The 2016 BET Awards' many tributes to Prince were as star-studded as they were powerful. You can watch a collection of them here.

Sure, it's common practice at this point for collaborations to happen at award shows, but this performance at the 2008 BET Awards goes above and beyond. Alicia Keys introduced not just one, not just two, but three beloved R&B groups: SWV, En Vogue, and TLC to bring the house down. Watch the performance here.

I don't want to build this up too much, but the video I'm about to link here bills this as R. Kelly's greatest performance ever, and I'm not going to disagree. At the 2013 BET Awards, he put together a medley of his greatest hits, and, well... you just have to see it to believe it. Watch here.

Though they had performed together before, 2015's BET Awards marked the first time Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill would actually perform together as a couple. And though they split back in January, that doesn't make their 2015 performance of "All Eyes On You" any less amazing. Watch it here.

This came out of nowhere. In 2014, Pharrell Williams was scheduled to perform, and it's probably not a surprise to hear that he chose to sing his hit song "Come Get It Bae." What did come as a surprise was his decision to bring out Missy Elliott, who performed "Pass That Dutch" as well, creating an awesome mash-up. Watch the performance here.

You might think that the title of this slide is some sort of joke, but I assure you -- it's not. At the 2005 BET Awards, Destiny's Child performed their hit "Cater 2 U," and dragged Magic Johnson, Nelly, and Terrence Howard on stage to receive lap dances. Magic Johnson and Nelly bought in, good-naturedly enjoying the situation without being creepy about it, but Terrence Howard seemed unable to not take the situation seriously. Watch the whole performance here. 

"Untitled (How Does It Feel)" may be one of the sexiest songs D'Angelo ever wrote, and he did it back in 2000. Fortunately, it has aged like a fine wine, and when D'Angelo gave his first TV performance since 2000 at the 2012 BET Awards, he proved it. Watch the performance here, which also includes his hit "Sugar Daddy."

Though news had broke that Beyonce and Jay-Z were dating before the curtain raised on the 2006 BET Awards, it wasn't until Beyonce's performance of "Deja Vu" that it all seemed official. Jay-Z came onstage midway through the performance to join Beyonce in one of the most captivating duets in BET Awards history. Watch the performance here.

This was incredibly touching. After Michael Jackson passed away, the 2009 BET Awards featured a speech by Janet Jackson memorializing the man. The speech was only about a minute long, but it was so honest and heartfelt that it will stick with you for much longer. Watch the speech here.

Given that she was touring at the time, it was a pretty gigantic surprise that Beyonce was able to appear at the 2016 BET Awards, much less bring along Kendrick Lamar as they opened the show with an electric performance of "Freedom." You can watch the performance here.

An un-ordered list of people who joined Busta Rhymes for a 6-minute long version of "Touch It:" Eminem, Mary J. Blige, DMX (via live feed), Kelis, Missy Elliott, and Lloyd Banks. There's not much else I need to say. Watch the performance here.

In terms of surprising BET Awards moments, this one probably takes the cake. Given their career paths, it was very hard to imagine a world in which a Fugees reunion would be possible -- but the 2005 BET Awards proved us all wrong. The Fugees reunion kicked off the awards show, and everyone else had a tough act to follow. Watch the performance here.

In 2014, Nicki Minaj stunned the audience with a back to back performance of "Chi-Raq" and "Pills N Potions" that began with her rapping from the back of a motorcycle. It only got crazier from there as the stage transformed into a hip-hop dreamscape. Hopefully the set designer got a raise. Watch the performance here.

People didn't know it at the time, but Rick James' performance at the 2004 BET Awards was more special and poignant than it initially appeared. Not only was the performance spirited -- an electric rendition of "Fire and Desire" with Teena Marie -- it would be his last public performance before his passing. Watch the video here.