Yahoo Finance Kanye West Stuns BET Awards 2022 Crowd with Surprise Appearance to Honor Friend Sean 'Diddy' Combs
Kanye West is back.
The musician, 45, made a rare public appearance at the BET Awards 2022 on Sunday to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to friend Sean "Diddy" Combs with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds.
"How do we crown our kings? How do we appreciate our kings?" West — whose face was completely covered in a hat, shades and black mask — said onstage.
"I go to him for advice to this day. He inspires so many of my choices, so many of my life choices. My wife choices," West continued, referencing his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, before adding with a laugh: "Thanks for that, Puff."
"You know, I took a little hiatus. I said, I just want to declare myself legally dead for a year. I just want to be off the grid and Puff is pretty persistent, but I had to think, bro, it's like, people get amnesia. Like I should never have Puff have to ever call more than one time. Any of us in this room if Puff ever need us, we need to jump and be there. This man has been through [and] survived a lot of stuff and broke down a lot of doors so we can be standing ... he broke down so many doors of classism, taste, swag. Puff, if I never told you I love you, you're my brother," said West.
Kevin Winter/Getty Kanye West
It was West's first awards show appearance since the Grammy Awards prohibited him from performing at the ceremony in April, despite his five nominations, due to "concerning online behavior."
RELATED: Kim Kardashian on Father's Day with Kanye West: 'Everything Is Going Good'
Earlier in March, West shared a music video for his single "Eazy" featuring The Game, in which a claymation version of Davidson, 28, appears to be kidnapped, tied up, and buried. He later took the video down.
BET Kanye West, Sean "Diddy" Combs and Babyface
A source told PEOPLE at the time that Kardashian was "furious" and "upset" about the music video. "She thinks it's way too violent and is upset," the insider explained, noting that the reality star is "completely over all of this and she wants it to stop."
RELATED VIDEO: Kim Kardashian and Ex-Husband Kanye West Put on Amicable Front at Son Saint's Soccer Game
Since then, Kardashian and West seem to have gotten to a better place. On Father's Day last week, the two had dinner with their four kids: Psalm, 3, Chicago, 4, Saint, 6, and North, 9.
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"We had Father's Day at the house," Kim said on Today. "The kids spent the day with him and then we had a big Father's Day dinner and North cooked."
"Everything is going good," added Kim, who filed for divorce from West in February 2021 after seven years of marriage.
Ahead of Diddy's achievement award speech, Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Shyne, The Lox and Lil Kim, Busta Rhymes and Bryson Tiller performed alongside the superstar.
RELATED: Diddy to Receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 BET Awards
Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Kanye West
After playing a voice note from his late ex Kim Porter, who died unexpectedly of lobar pneumonia in 2018, Diddy performed "I'll Be Missing You" with Faith Evans and Maverick City Choir.
"Before I leave, I want to donate a million dollars to Howard University, and also I'mma drop another million dollars on Deion Sanders and Jackson State because we should play for us," said Diddy during his acceptance speech. "Thank you all from the bottom of my heart."
Diddy founded his record label Bad Boy in the early 1990s, and it's since gone on to become a hip-hop powerhouse, selling more than 100 million records worldwide.
In addition to releasing music of his own, the three-time Grammy winner also has a successful fashion line and in 2013 launched REVOLT Media & TV, the first Black-owned multi-platform cable music network.
Amy Sussman/Getty Sean "Diddy" Combs
"Diddy has always been a pioneering force in our community, breaking barriers, achieving unprecedented heights, blazing new trails, and, in so doing, raising the bar for all of us," BET CEO Scott Mills said in a statement. "His virtuosity is matched only by his range — from music to media, culture, business, and philanthropy — Diddy has exemplified Black Excellence. We are delighted to have this opportunity to use our biggest stage to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of our friend Diddy."
After the show, Diddy is set host a celebratory party powered by META alongside Ciroc Premium Vodka and Deleon Tequila.
The BET Awards, which honor musicians, actors and athletes, are airing live from Los Angeles.
