The rapper emotionally thanked his fans as he accepted the award after hitting the stage for a performance celebrating his legacy.
Sunday night's 2023 BET Awards gave one of the greatest his flowers.
During "culture's biggest night," Busta Rhymes was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award -- presented by Marlon Wayans and Swizz Beatz -- where he shared an inspirational message in his acceptance speech, and got emotional while reflecting on the award.
Speaking with ET's Kevin Frazier after the show at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, Rhymes explained what, exactly, brought him to tears during his speech.
"I was thinking about everyone that I acknowledged. I was thinking about the ones I couldn't get to because I ain't have enough time," Rhymes explained. "[And] I'm looking at my kids for the first time all together at such a prestigious moment in my life."
Several of the artist's six kids were in the audience on Sunday, and Rhymes admitted that it was their love and support that really moved him.
"I ain't going to lie, one thing I didn't want to say on the stage is that, as I'm looking at my kids, [there were] a lot of times when I had to leave home to do this s**t to make sure they were straight. And I lived with that guilt for a long time, because I might have missed a graduation. You know what I'm saying, I might've missed a birthday. I might've missed teaching my kid how to ride a bike," he reflected. "But as they got older, they understood. And I'm super grateful because to see how proud of me they are now, sometimes made feel like I might of let them down in the past."
"It was challenging to look at them so happy,, and still feel like I got work to do to make them happier," he added.
Known for his rapid-fire delivery and intricate rhymes, the 51-year-old artist was surprisingly candid and sentimental during his acceptance speech, as he got real about his career and the trajectory of his life.
"All right. So, I'm going to wear it on my sleeve. I do want to cry," Rhymes shared, as he got a resounding cheer from the audience. Then, after taking a moment, he recalled a story about how he got his career jumpstarted nearly three decades ago, and how much his love for the craft is still going strong in his heart.
"I'm going to say I am grateful that the blessing that has been bestowed upon me and this gift that I have been given and this fire that continues to burn as a passion in my soul, that allows me to get into any situation -- from the stage to collabing with whoever -- and making sure that I am far from the weak link," he shared. "Because I enjoy walking away from a situation saying, 'I bust a**!'"
"It's just me trying to do my duty to continue to advance the culture and continue to contribute in a significant way," he continued. "I see so many people in here that I have known and grown with for a long time, you're watching me grow and I love y'all and I know y'all love me."
The moving speech was preceded by a short video package that highlighted Busta's accomplishments across music, movies and TV -- with stars like Diddy, Pharrell Williams, Janet Jackson, Dave Chappelle and more commenting on the performer's incredible legacy.
The stars touched on Busta's notable contributions to the film industry, such as appearances in several movies, including Higher Learning, Shaft and Halloween: Resurrection.
The BET Awards is in full swing. Be sure to keep up with ET's winner's list throughout the night.
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