Busta Rhymes will receive the BMI Icon Award at its 2022 R&B/Hip-Hop Awards on Sept. 7. The private event, to be held at the LIV Nightclub Miami Beach, will be hosted by BMI president & CEO Mike O’Neill and BMI vice president, creative (Atlanta) Catherine Brewton.
Previous recipients of what BMI regards as its highest honor include Janet Jackson, Patti LaBelle, Nile Rodgers, Snoop Dogg, The Jacksons, LA Reid, Babyface, Al Green, Isaac Hayes and James Brown.
“We are excited to honor Busta Rhymes as a BMI Icon,” Brewton said in a statement. “Through his award-winning solo work, countless collaborations and acting, Busta is a true innovator in every sense of the word and has made a dynamic impact on legions of fans and music creators worldwide. His quick wit and intricate rapping style have made him legendary, inspiring many young performers to follow in his footsteps.”
At the ceremony, BMI will also salute the songwriters, producers and music publishers of the past year’s 35 most-performed R&B/hip-hop songs in the U.S. from BMI’s repertoire. The BMI R&B/hip-hop songwriter, producer and publisher of the year will also be named.
Rhymes launched his musical career in the early ’90s with the hip-hop crew Leaders of the New School. He moved on to become an in-demand collaborator, appearing on numerous tracks for other artists before he officially went solo in 1996 with his hit, “Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check.”
Busta Rhymes topped the Billboard 200 in July 2006 with his seventh studio album, The Big Bang. As a lead artist, he has climbed as high as No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 twice, with “What’s It Gonna Be?!” (featuring Janet Jackson) in 1999 and “I Know What You Want” (a collab with Mariah Carey which featured The Flipmode Squad) in 2003.
Rhymes has received numerous accolades and awards, including six BET Hip-Hop Awards, eight BMI Awards and a Soul Train Music Award. He has also received 12 Grammy nominations and 16 MTV Video Music Award nominations, but has yet to win at either of those shows.
Rhymes has appeared in several films and television series, including Shaft, Finding Forrester, Master of None and The Rugrats Movie. He also competed in The Masked Singer on FOX.
For more information on the BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, visit here and use hashtag #BMIRnBHHAwards on social.
