Watch Busta Rhymes Perform Medley of Hits At 2025 MTV VMAs
Busta Rhymes gave a memorable performance of several of his hit songs before he accepted the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday.
Joined onstage by dancers dressed in red, Rhymes gave a memorable, high-energy performance that included his hits “Gimme Some More,” “Scenario,” “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” and “Pass the Courvoisier, Part II.” He was also joined by Joyner Lucas, Papoose and GloRilla as they helped perform several of the songs with him.
After he performed the songs, Rhymes took a moment to talk to the crowd while accepting the Visionary Award. “I know I usually do these long speeches. I’m not gonna do one today,” he began. “But next time y’all take 35 years to give me one of these, they’re gonna let me talk as long as I want.”
Rhymes thanked his friend LL Cool J, who presented him with the award, before he paid tribute to Ananda Lewis. The former MTV VJ and TV show host died after a battle with stage 4 breast cancer at age 52 in June. “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,” he said. “An incredible woman that loved me and she loved us. She loved the culture very much. I miss her very much. The late, great, incredible Royal Empress, Ananda Lewis.”
Rhymes then gave shout-outs to Lewis’ family members before he thanked the crowd one final time for the award.
Prior to the awards show, MTV announced that the award celebrated his “boundary-breaking cultural impact and indomitable musical career.”
Rhymes made his VMAs debut in 1997. He has gone on to perform several times at the awards show, including a memorable medley of greatest hits that closed out the 2021 show. Additionally, he has been nominated for 16 awards at the show over the years. However, the 2025 VMAs marked the first time he’s accepted a Moon Person trophy.
The 2025 VMAs took place at New York’s UBS Arena. LL Cool J served as the event’s host.
