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If you would’ve told the Migos back in 2001 (when they were no older than 10-years old) that they would be the first musical guest on the reboot of TRL, they probably would’ve ignored you then hit you with the dab.
But according to Fader, Quavo, Offset and Takeoff have been named as guests for the new run of Total Request Live, which is set to return to MTV on October 2. But before being bad and bougie became a thing, TRL was the hottest ticket in town — spilling all the celebrity tea straight from the horse’s mouth and keeping everyone up to date on the culture.
Some moments from the show, which ran from 1998 to 2008, are so classic that anyone born after the age of the Internet has no idea that they actually happened. Like the time Jay-Z and Beyoncé performed “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” in matching denim ensembles, pretending to not be a couple…classic.
Check out these memorable TRL moments that will instantly spark your early 2000’s nostalgia:
Nelly Disses Eminem (2000)
Who knew that Derty Mo and Slim Shady had beef back in the day? Apparently the Midwest legends had a short-lived rivalry back in 2000 over being the highest selling rapper on the charts that summer. It sounds silly now that both stars are super successful, but if you watch the clip above, you see that Nelly had no intentions on letting anyone steal his “Country Grammar” shine. Luckily for fans of both emcees, the beef never got out of hand.
Destiny’s Child Farewell (2005)
When Destiny’s Child announced their official split in 2005, Times Square was filled with distraught teenage girls, acting as if they were losing big sisters. Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams stopped by the set of TRL to revisit some of their best music videos that made the top ten countdown and give fans a good look at them as a trio before the birth of the Bey-hive.
Mariah Carey’s Breakdown (2001)
No one knew what was up with Mimi when she made a surprise appearance on TRL in the summer of 2001, but the fans were just excited to see their queen in person. However, host Carson Daly and most viewers knew that something wasn’t right when Mariah started passing out ice cream to audience members and stripped out of her a “Loverboy” T-shirt as she ranted on and on about who knows what. At one point during the show, she even told Carson, “You’re my therapy session right now.”
Michael Jackson Interview (2001)
Just one month after New York City was devastated by the September 11th terrorist attacks, the King of Pop decided to shine some light and love on the city in his own way. At the time, Michael Jackson wasn’t doing too many interviews and rarely was seen on television, outside of intrusive paparazzi pics. But to promote his 2001 album Invincible, MJ stopped by TRL and sat down with Carson Daly — making for one of the greatest TRL interviews of all time.
Aaliyah’s Final Album Promo (2001)
Nothing says early 2000’s nostalgia like the angelic voice and sweet face that was Aaliyah. Just before her shocking death in August 2001, Babygirl stopped by TRL to dish about her budding career as an actress and her highly anticipated role in the Matrix sequel. Unfortunately, Aaliyah wasn’t able to finish filming the movie due to her untimely passing as the result of a fatal plane crash on August 25, 2001.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z As Secret Lover In Matching Outfits (2002)
Before the Carters became royalty in their own right, Jay-Z was the reigning King of hip hop on the heels of one of his most critically acclaimed albums (The Blueprint 2), while Beyoncé was finally coming into her own as the solo artist that the world worships today. Both stars played it cool as if they were just two musicians who happened to work together, all the while knowing that they’d eventually start a family and build an unprecedented Black legacy of their own. Three kids and billions of dollars later, the Carters are as close (and private) as they were 15 years ago.
Justin Timberlake Met His Celebrity Crush Halle Berry (2002)
TRL was famous for having mega stars pop up on set at anytime to surprise the crowd — but nothing beats the times when they surprised celebrities with other celebrities. That’s what happened in 2002 when Justin Timberlake revealed that his celeb crush was Halle Berry, a.k.a. everyone’s crush at the time. Carson Daly surprised the singer, who was releasing his debut album Justified, by having Ms. Berry come out and express that she admired J.T. just as much as he did her. Too bad she was married to Eric Benét at the time.
Ol’ Dirty Bastard Keeps It Trill (1998)
When you mix unapologetic artists like O.D.B. and live shows like TRL, you get one of the realest interviews of MTV history. From bashing the government to dissing a caller, Ol’ Dirty Bastard didn’t hold back in his 1998 appearance on Total Request Live.
Catch the TRL revamp when it returns to MTV on October 2.
Nostalgia Ultra: These Classic TRL Moments Will Have You Feeling Like 2001 Again was originally published on globalgrind.com
