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Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n Busta Rhymes received his first Moon Person at the 2025 MTV VMAs, accepting the Rock the Bells Visionary Award.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n During his speech, he paid tribute to Ananda Lewis, calling her a \u201croyal empress\u201d who uplifted Hip Hop culture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Lewis\u2019 career spanned MTV, daytime talk, and advocacy, leaving a lasting imprint on music television and cultural storytelling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Busta Rhymes<\/a> finally got his flowers at the MTV Video Music Awards, and he made sure to share them.<\/p>\n On Sunday (Sept. 7) night, the rap legend accepted the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award, marking the first time in his 35-year career that he\u2019s taken home a Moon Person. But instead of a long-winded speech, Busta kept things short, heartfelt, and personal. \u201cY\u2019all know I usually do these long speeches, I\u2019m not gonna do one today. But next time y\u2019all take 35 years to give me one of these, y\u2019all gonna let me talk as long as I want!\u201d he joked.<\/p>\n The 53-year-old then shifted to gratitude, thanking his parents, his children, and those closest to him before pausing to honor someone who helped shaped Hip Hop culture as much as he did \u2014 the late Ananda Lewis<\/a>. \u201cI want to thank \u2014 and I think we all need to acknowledge \u2014 the incredible woman that loved us very much when we came to MTV during the \u201990s,\u201d he said. \u201cAn 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 pick up her mother, her father, her sister Lakshmi.\u201d<\/p>\n\n