After the rapper performed a show-stopping medley of his greatest hits, he accepted the first-ever Rock the Bells Visionary Award, and paid tribute to beloved MTV VJ, Ananda Lewis, who died in June, calling Lewis an “incredible royal empress.”
Hip hop icon Busta Rhymes is the inaugural winner of the MTV VMA Rock the Bells Visionary Award.
During the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, the rapper hit the stage at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, performing an show-stopping medley of his greatest hits, including “Break Ya Neck, “Gimme Some More,” “Scenario,” “Touch It,” “Pass the Courvoisier Part II,” and more, with Busta bringing out GloRilla, Joyner Lucas, and Papoose.
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Following the epic performance, Busta, 53, accepted the first-ever Rock the Bells Visionary Award, with the artist being presented the award by the 2025 MTV VMAs host, rapper and actor LL Cool J. Despite receiving a whopping 16 VMA nominations throughout his career, the Rock the Bells Visionary Award is Busta’s first Moonperson.
Busta first thanked LL Cool J, calling him his “hero,” “one of my greatest inspirations,” and “the reason I wrote my first rhyme.”
“I know I usually do these long speeches. I’m not gonna do one today, but next time y’all take 35 years to give me one of these, y’all gonna let me talk as long as I want,” he joked, before continuing, “Let me get straight to it. Ciara, I love you. Yo Gotti, salute. Mona Scott-Young, thank you for being the mother of my career. I want to thank my mother. I want to thank my father. The rest of peace, Dad. All praises due to the most high, God is the greatest.”
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“I want to thank my beautiful children,” Busta said of his six children — T’ziah Wood-Smith, Mariah Miskelly, T’khi Wood-Smith, Cacie Smith, Trillian Wood-Smith, and Sacario Smith — before also thanking DJ Scratch.
Busta ended his acceptance speech by paying tribute to beloved MTV VJ Ananda Lewis, who died in June at 52 following a years-long battle with breast cancer.
“I want to thank — and I think we all need to acknowledge — the incredible woman that loved us very much when we came to MTV during the 90s,” he said. “An incredible woman that loved me, and she loved us. She loved the culture. She lifted us up. I love her very much. I miss her very much. The late great, incredible royal empress, Ananda Lewis. I want to big up her mother, her father, her sister, Lakshmi. I want to big up Marvet Britto.”
“Thank y’all so much, man. The blessings don’t stop, so we don’t stop, baby!” Busta said, ending his speech.
