Busta Rhymes made history with a new honor at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards. The rapper, 53, received the first-ever MTV VMA Rock the Bells Visionary Award during the Sunday, September 7, ceremony at UBS Arena in New York. "I want to thank my mother, I want to thank my father. Rest in peace, Dad. God is the greatest," Rhymes said in his speech. "I want to thank my beautiful children. I want to thank DJ Scratch from the legendary engineering EPMD." Rhymes then gave a special shout-out to former MTV VJ Ananda Lewis, who died in June after a battle with breast cancer. She was 52.