Busta Rhymes Honors MTV VJ Ananda Lewis At VMAs Just Months After Her Death

Busta Rhymes is remembering the late MTV VJ Ananda Lewis months after her death.

While accepting the inaugural Rock The Bells Visionary Award at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards for his contributions to hip-hop on Sunday, the rapper gave Lewis a special shoutout.

“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 onstage at the 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.”

The record producer added: “I love her very much. I miss her very much. The late great, incredible royal empress Ananda Lewis.”

Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor George Smith Jr., went on to thank Lewis’ family, including her mother, father and sister Lakshmi Emory.

Emory first announced the news of her sister’s death in a June 11 Facebook post.

Social media users on X, formerly Twitter, praised Rhymes for his touching tribute to Lewis.

Lewis hosted BET’s “Teen Summit” and MTV’s “Total Request Live” and “Hot Zone.” She has been celebrated for being a pioneer for Black women in broadcast journalism and also hosted “The Ananda Lewis Show.”

Before acknowledging Lewis, the Brooklyn-born Rhymes, known for his high-speed rap style and visually daring music videos, hit the stage at the ceremony to perform a stream of his biggest hits, including “Break Ya Neck,” “Touch It,” and “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See.”

Rhymes was accompanied by rapper Glorilla, frequent collaborator Spliff Star, Papoose and more.

Rhymes’ acceptance of the Rock the Bells Visionary Award came weeks after he earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in August. He was also the Global Icon honoree at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards.