The 2023 BET AWARDS were delivered Sunday and upon the end of the celebration of the culture’s biggest night, it was clearly defined that Trevor Smith, professionally known as Busta Rhymes, is one of the most iconic figures in the history of Black Music.
That Rhymes, who garnered his fame and acclaim through his excellence in rap, received the Lifetime Achievement Award in the year that hip hop celebrates its 50th anniversary is apropos to say the least; for some, Busta is viewed as the physical manifestation of hip hop’s past, present, and future. In fact, he held that view unofficially for the past 30 years. Like the man credited with creating the hip hop movement, Kool Herc, Busta proudly flies the flag of his native country, Jamaica. During his acceptance speech, Busta declared, “Everything that Busta Rhymes embodies as far as going to get it and not taking no for an answer comes from being a Caribbean, raised in a Jamaican home.”
In his music, you can hear the homage delivered to early groups like the Fantastic, Romantic 5 MC’s; in fact, one was his early successes as a solo act, Who Haa, paid a debt to the Sugarhill Gang. His outworldly talent was so advanced that some of his rhymes and patterns are still used now, at least 30 years since his work was publicly consumed. Of his status as an elder, he emphasized to others of his tenure the importance of mentorship and collaboration.
“OGs, you still gotta look the part, you still gotta be the part because you don’t want the young G to say, ‘OG, you telling me how to do something but it don’t look like it work for you no more.’ A lot of us OGs look good!” he beamed. “It’s important. We want y’all to pull up and we want to give you the information because when I needed it, [Big Daddy] Kane let me come to his million-dollar crib, EPMD let me used to come to their crib and see all of their real estate, Chuck D used to sit me down and give me the jewels. I got the arm put around me to school me and show me how to be groomed and well-raised. Learn what to do, and take it and apply it and do it, secure the win. Y’all gotta do that now and we gonna do it with y’all ’cause we still bustin’ ass!”
Busta is now in preparation of going out on a global tour in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s 2003 debut album, “Get Rich or Die Tryin’.”
Speaking of securing the win, here is the complete list of honorees from the 2023 BET Awards:
ALBUM OF THE YEAR (*TIE!)
‘Renaissance’ – Beyoncé AND ‘SOS’ – SZA
BEST FEMALE R&B/POP ARTIST
SZA
BEST MALE R&B/POP ARTIST (*TIE!)
Chris Brown AND Usher
BEST GROUP
Drake x 21 Savage
BEST COLLABORATION
“Wait For U,” Future Feat. Drake & Tems
BEST FEMALE HIP HOP ARTIST
Latto
BEST GROUP
Drake x 21 Savage
BEST FEMALE HIP HOP ARTIST
Latto
BEST MALE HIP HOP ARTIST
Kendrick Lamar
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
“Kill Bill,” SZA
VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Teyana “Spike Tey” Taylor
BEST NEW ARTIST
Coco Jones
YOUNGSTARS AWARD
Marsai Martin
SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Angel Reese
SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Jalen Hurts
BEST MOVIE
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
BEST ACTOR
Damson Idris
BEST ACTRESS
Angela Bassett
BET HER
“Break My Soul,” Beyoncé
VIEWER’S CHOICE: BEST NEW INTERNATIONAL ACT
Libianca (Cameroon)
DR. BOBBY JONES BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL AWARD
“Bless Me,” Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin
VIEWER’S CHOICE AWARD
“Break My Soul,” Beyoncé
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Over and out. Holla next week. Til then, enjoy the nightlife.
