MC Lyte Talks Being the Voice of the BET Awards, Managing 7-Year-Old Star Van Van & New Music & More

Hip-hop legend MC Lyte pulled up to the BET Awards 2026 red carpet and pulled back the curtain on one of her biggest roles yet—the official voice of the show. In this lively conversation, the trailblazing emcee shares how she became the announcer fans hear every year, the rising young talent she's helping shape, and the star-studded new music she has on the way. 00:32 – Welcome to the BET Awards 2026 with MC Lyte and Van Van 01:22 – Introducing Van Van, three-time BET Young Talent nominee 02:09 – Van Van's red-carpet look (styled by her mama!) 02:54 – MC Lyte's role as the voice and announcer of the BET Awards 03:21 – How she landed the gig through the VH1 Hip Hop Honors producers 04:05 – Inside Sunny Girl: managing Van Van since age four 04:17 – Van Van's credits: Kennedy Center, "Abbott Elementary," Snoop Dogg's series, Steph Curry's "The Goat" 04:46 – "Each one, reach one": the power of mentorship 05:16 – Van Van's new video "Summertime Baby" and staying booked and busy 05:32 – Who MC Lyte is looking forward to seeing at the awards 05:53 – Her narrator role on show night and bringing on the performances 06:35 – BET Experience: the business pitch competition at the Beehive 07:02 – The Greek step show and celebrating every part of the culture 07:37 – New music on the way with Anthony Hamilton, Toni Braxton, and Slick Rick 07:56 – "1 of 1" featuring Stevie Wonder, Common, and Q-Tip 08:05 – "Woman" with Salt, Big Daddy Kane, and Raheem DeVaughn 08:36 – Admiring MC Lyte's standout ring 09:17 – Bringing home the trophy and shouting out the fans 09:43 – A heartfelt "you're a star" moment for Van Van 09:59 – Closing wisdom: manage your money and invest wisely