MC Lyte said she was initially nervous following a video tribute that honored the veteran rapper for her career achievements at the eighth annual BET Hip-Hop Awards Saturday.

Once MC Lyte gathered herself, she thanked a host of people who helped further her career. She urged the female rappers who have come after her to continue to shine and push the genre forward.

"Please keep the dream alive, I am with you," said MC Lyte, who was given the "I Am Hip-Hop Award" at the taped award show at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center. The show airs on Oct. 15.

Rapper Eve handed the award to MC Lyte, who became known in the rap game in the late `80s and `90s. She relied on wit rather than sexuality and rapped with a man "s bluster and braggadocio. She delivered hits such as "Cha Cha Cha," "Lyte as a Rock," "Poor Georgie" and "I Cram to Understand U."

Actor Will Smith, his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and rapper-actress Queen Latifah took part in the video that paid homage to Lyte.

"She set the precedent for female freestylers," Eve said of MC Lyte. "I "m truly, truly honored. She has meant so much to me in my career."