Before ‘106 & Park,’ Free Was A Techie: ‘I’m A Undercover Nerd And Can Fix, Program And Rebuild Anything Technical’

The television extraordinaire — born Marie Antoinette Wright — became a household name thanks to the cultural phenomenon “106 & Park,” which premiered on BET on Sept. 11, 2000.

At the time, Free was introduced to viewers across the nation alongside her co-host, AJ Calloway, and the pair served as the face of the music countdown show for five years before their departure in 2005.