The BET Awards are celebrating 25 years of honoring Black excellence on Monday night, broadcasting live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Comedian Kevin Hart, who is hosting the ceremony for the second time, following his hosting stint in 2011, and opened the night with back-to-back laughs and wildcard innuendos. Without hesitation, Hart daringly joked about controversial hip-hop figures, including Kanye West, who has been exhibiting aggressive antisemitic behavior for years.

“We all saw ‘ Sinners ,’ don’t let his ass in here,” Hart joked about West, referencing Ryan Coogler’s vampire film. “So he can bite somebody. So he can bite Playboi Carti again — Playboi Carti definitely been bit.”

In a rapid-style lineup of performances honoring “106 and Park,” BET’s hip hop and R&B mu

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