VMAs 2025: Doja Cat Apologizes to LL Cool J for “Rude” Interruption

“Music is the force that brings us all together,” he told the crowd. “No matter what you’re bumping on your playlist these days—pop, country, Latin, hip hop, K-pop, straight up rock—it’s all here. 

This is the 57-year-old’s second time hosting the award show. In 2022, he shared emcee duties with Nicki Minaj and Jack Harlow.

“I remember the first time I hit the VMAs stage,” LL Cool J said at the time, recalling how he made his debut back in 1991. “In a lot of ways, we were introducing hip-hop to the world.”

And it was certainly a night to remember for the Any Given Sunday star, who nabbed a Best Rap Video award for his smash hit “Mama Said Knock You Out.” Six years later in 1997, he was given the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, becoming the first-ever rapper to be honored with the prize.

In a full circle moment, he received the special Moon Person from Mariah Carey, who is this year’s Vanguard Award recipient.

In March, LL Cool J praised his “I’ll Be Lovin’ You Long Time” collaborator, calling her “one of the greatest singers, songwriters and artists of all time.”

“Year after year, decade after decade, Mariah has continued to share her stunning voice, her songwriting and her deeply personal story with millions of fans everywhere,” he shared onstage during the 2025 iHeartRadio Awards. “Along the way, Mariah has broken virtually every chart record around the globe.”

He added of the singer, “This is the extraordinary story, a successful story of a hero, a fantasy, a butterfly, a vision of love, who always has us feeling emotions.”

To see more celebrities at the 2025 MTV VMAs, keep reading.