On Thursday, AJ Calloway and Free officially resigned their posts as the hosts of BET’s popular show "106 & Park," jobs they have held since the show’s premier in the fall of 2000.
The circumstances surrounding their abrupt departure have not been disclosed, but insiders speculate there has been friction with upper management in recent weeks. Representatives for BET didn’t respond for a request for comment at press time.
On the live show, AJ tearfully told the audience, "I got really emotional…There’s nothing like 106 & Park, its been a staple in the African American community for a long, long time. Five years strong and hopefully it will continue with whoever’s in the reigns without myself and Free."
The show started when BET moved most of its entertainment-based shows to Harlem in 2000. At the time, "106 & Park" was located on the Harlem street corner of the same name. In March of 2002, the company moved its base into Viacom’s CBS Broadcast Center in Manhattan.
AJ revealed that his plans included opening up a restaurant in Brooklyn, running a management company and, in previous reports, said he was working on a television pilot. He also disclosed that Free’s official web site would be re-erected in the near future. It has been rumored that Free has decided to follow her rap career, which had been dormant until she rapped on the Ying Yang Twins “Wait (remix).”
No replacements have been named.
"Its not the last time you will see us…you might see us somewhere else," AJ concluded. "We love y’all. Live, love life."