Little Simz Honours Busta Rhymes With the Global Icon Award at the 2024 MTV EMAs
At the 2024 MTV EMAs, Little Simz took the stage to present hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes with the prestigious Global Icon Award. The event unfolded at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena on Sunday night (November 10), where Rhymes joined an elite group of past Global Icon honorees like Queen, Eminem, Liam Gallagher, U2, and Whitney Houston.
In his acceptance speech, Busta shared that it was his first time attending the Europe Music Awards. He mentioned that he’d never been to the MTV EMAs before. Reflecting on his 34-year career in music, he noted that this was the first time MTV had honoured him with an award, adding that it felt absolutely incredible.
In his heartfelt speech, Busta also expressed gratitude to LL Cool J for his impact on early hip-hop and for inspiring him, saying LL was the blueprint for his earliest rhymes. He then paid tribute to his mother, whom he called his “best friend and hero.”
The rapper went on to mention an upcoming collaboration with Little Simz, thanking her for “feeding his soul.” He also announced that his new album, Dragon Season, is set for release on November 29, before launching into a medley of his most iconic tracks.
Busta first revealed his collaboration with Little Simz last December. Speaking about the current influence of women in rap music, he said that there is now a “huge female presence” that has been “great for the culture,” noting that many talented women MCs had not received the recognition they deserved over the years. He added that he was never a fan of that imbalance and expressed his appreciation for the strong presence women have in the scene today. He mentioned that some of his immediate favourites include Scar Lip, Coi Leray, Bia, and Little Simz.
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He also shared that he was “actively working on something” with Simz and was excited about the project.
Simz, meanwhile, has recently been featured on Coldplay’s single ‘We Pray,’ Sampha’s ‘Satellite Business 2.0’ and Wretch 32’s comeback track ‘Black And British.’ In August, she collaborated with the Tate Modern to curate an evening of late-night music, workshops, and discussions.
The MTV EMAs, hosted by Rita Ora for a record-breaking third time, included live performances from artists like Benson Boone, RAYE, Shawn Mendes, Teddy Swims, The Warning, LE SSERAFIM, Peso Pluma, Tyla, Busta Rhymes, and Pet Shop Boys.
—Silviya.Y
