Busta Rhymes Honors Late MTV VJ Ananda Lewis While Accepting Inaugural Visionary Award at the 2025 VMAs Daniela Avila, Jack IrvinSeptember 8, 2025 at 2:40 AM 0 Busta Rhymes at the 2025 MTV VMAs Busta Rhymes received the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award at the MTV VMAs on Sept.
- - Busta Rhymes Honors Late MTV VJ Ananda Lewis While Accepting Inaugural Visionary Award at the 2025 VMAs
Daniela Avila, Jack IrvinSeptember 8, 2025 at 2:40 AM
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Busta Rhymes at the 2025 MTV VMAs -
Busta Rhymes received the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award at the MTV VMAs on Sept. 7
The award honored his "boundary-breaking cultural impact and indomitable musical career"
He also performed "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See," and "Pass the Courvoiser Part 2" before accepting the award
Busta Rhymes is earning his flowers — and his first Moon Person.
The "Look at Me Now" rapper, 53, took the stage at the MTV VMAs on Sunday, Sept. 7, to accept the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award. In his speech, he honored the late MTV VJ Ananda Lewis, who died in June after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
"Y'all 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 began his speech, mentioning his first time ever receiving a VMA. "But let me get straight to it."
He thanked his loved ones, including his parents and children, before paying tribute to Lewis, who died at 52.
"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. 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," he continued. "The late, great, incredible royal empress Ananda Lewis. I want to pick up her mother, her father, her sister Lakshmi."
WOO-HAH! 🏆 @BustaRhymes is the first-ever @MTV #VMA Rock The Bells Visionary Award Recipient! pic.twitter.com/krWR6OQRHw
— Video Music Awards (@vmas) September 8, 2025
"The blessings don't stop, so we don't stop, baby," concluded Busta.
Lewis joined MTV in 1997 and hosted Total Request Live and Hot Zone during her MTV tenure. She left the music channel in 2010 to host her own show, The Ananda Lewis Show. In 1999, The New York Times declared her "the hip-hop generation's reigning It Girl."
She announced her diagnosis in 2020 on Instagram and revealed four years later that the cancer had metastasized and stage IV.
Manny Carabel/Getty
Busta Rhymes at the 2025 MTV VMAs
In addition to receiving the award, which marked his first VMAs award, Busta also put on an energetic performance that included nostalgic songs "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See," and "Pass the Courvoiser Part 2." Musicians Glorilla, Spliff Star and Joyner Lucas also joined him onstage for the musical tribute.
The award celebrates the hip-hop star's "boundary-breaking cultural impact and an indomitable musical career," the announcement read.
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Earlier in the evening, Busta spoke to PEOPLE about what receiving the award means to him.
"It's probably one of the most incredible feelings for several reasons," he began. "It's the first one they ever gave away at the VMAs."
Busta then noted how incredible it was to have his family with him to celebrate his big win.
"To have these visions that are constant and you finally get to this place where you go from being to a child to now you pullin' up to a 35-year-later career legacy with three of your children, two of your nephews, I got three other children that were unfortunately not able to be here — because my kids is grown so they got s--- to do, too," he said.
Manny Carabel/Getty
Spliff Star and Busta Rhymes at the 2025 MTV VMAs
Busta added that it was special "to be able to have six of my family members here, them being born into watching their dad do this, them growing and evolving into being a part of the business I'm in and doing business with me."
"All we gonna do is continue to stay in the blessed energy space because as long as the blessings dont stop, we don't stop," he said.
His son, Trillian Wood-Smith, who accompanied him on the red carpet, spoke about his father's future in music: "We in for another 35-plus, trust,"
Busta also reflected on performing on stage with his son Trillian Wood-Smith at Missy Elliott's Out of This World in 2024.
"It's emotional for me," he said. "It's like tearjerker moments for me."
Wood-Smith, 24, added it was a "tearjerker for me, too."
Busta added that it's crazy for him because he "makes a conscious effort to not tell people he's my child until after the work."
"He really, really is committed to the hard work that it takes to succeed, and it's not being given to him. He gotta earn it and that's what he's doing. I'm so proud to see that as a dad," he said.
Click here to see all of PEOPLE's MTV VMAs coverage.
Throughout the course of his career, Busta (born Trevor George Smith) has received 12 Grammy Award nominations and sold over 20 million records worldwide. Busta began his career as a member of Leaders of the New School and launched his solo career in 1996 with his debut album The Coming.
He first appeared at the VMAs in 1997 and has gone on to perform numerous times, including in 2021 when a medley of his greatest hits closed out the show.
Busta released his latest album, BLOCKBUSTA, in November 2023. Months prior, he received the Lifetime Achievement honor at the BET Awards and teared up during his speech.
"So, I'm gonna wear it on my sleeve. I do wanna cry," he said, before reflecting on his career.
"I see so many people in here that I've known and I've grown with for a long time, and y'all watched me grow, and I love y'all, and I know y'all love me," he continued. "But I'm a real giver of love. Sometimes I know I might overwhelm you. I wanna hug you, and I won't let you go. I shake your hand."
The show, which was held at the UBS Arena, was hosted by LL Cool J. This marked his second time hosting the show, as he co-hosted with Jack Harlow and Nicki Minaj in 2022.
The VMAs revealed nominations for the show in August and Lady Gaga took the lead with 12 total. Bruno Mars followed closely behind with 11 and Kendrick Lamar with 10.
The 2025 MTV VMAs air live from UBS Arena in New York on Sunday, Sept. 7, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS (for the first time) and MTV. The ceremony will also stream on Paramount+.
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