Busta Rhymes gave an emotional acceptance at the 2023 BET Awards after being introduced by Swizz Beatz. He started his speech with admission that he was emotional. "

Aigt, I'm gonna wear it on my sleeve. I do wanna cry," he said.

Busta went on to explain that he was the youngest member of his group Leaders of The New School, and the first to have a child. After being kicked out of the group, Busta needed a way to support his child who was three years old in Busta's 1996 "Woo Hah" video and is now 30 and was present at the awards. "I was scared when LONS broke up because I never wanted to be a solo MC. I aint like the responsibility of making a full song," he remembered.

"I got kicked out the group and I was scared. I got kicked out the group in '93 right after the 'Scenario' remix, and I didn't make a solo album until '96 because I was trying to figure out how I was gonna feed my oldest child," he said. "I would go to this weed spot and get this chocolate Thai weed and the slowest burning cigar called White Owl. Then I'd called the studios and see who was in them. I'd pull up and act like I'd left something the night before, but I came in room with my weed and White Owl burning already and I knew if I passed it to the MC's they couldn't kick me out. This is how I was finding out how to feed my family." Busta then explains that while the weed wa making its rotation, he'd quickly whip up a 16 bar rhyme before the blunt came back to him. "I'd ask could I hop in the booth and ask if I could spit my 16, then send invoices for the verses. I liked making $30,000 - $40,000 a week and by default I pioneered the feature."

Later in his 13 minute speech, Busta called for MCs to end petty beefs and expand their music beyond "ass shaking and how much drugs we sold and how many dudes we tied up, drugs we doin'."

He then proclaimed that he rock with newer artist despite being a timeless MC. "I love seeing Ice Spice, Coi Leray, Kendrick, J. Cole, Wu-Tang and Nas. We gonna stop this narrative like we don't love each other."

Busta got emotional a few times in his speech, but it was when he spoke of his relationship with record executive Sylvia Rhone and his friendship with his hype man Spliff Star that he showed the most emotion. "There's nothing that I do that's as great as i do it without my brother Spliff Star. I love you so much, my best friend."

After his acceptance speech he proceeded to rip through a medley of some of his greatest recordings including "Pass The Courvoisier," "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See" and his verse from "Scenario." Check out his speech above.