Busta Rhymes paid tribute to the late MTV VJ Ananda Lewis during his VMAs acceptance speech.
On Sunday (September 7), Rhymes accepted the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards before remembering Lewis’ impact on the network. Lewis, known for hosting “Teen Summit,” “Total Request Live,” “Hot Zone,” and “The Ananda Lewis Show,” died at 52 in June following a 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,” Rhymes said during his acceptance speech at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. “An incredible woman that loved me, and she loved us, and 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,” he added.
Before his speech, Rhymes performed a medley of hits, including “Break Ya Neck,” “Touch It,” and “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See,” with Glorilla, Spliff Star, Papoose, and others.
Social media users praised the rapper for honoring Lewis as a pioneer in the industry.
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