20 artists deserving of the BET Awards Lifetime Achievement Award

Stevie Wonder—some would say, the proof is in the name. Wonder has been in the industry for nearly six decades, releasing 23 studio albums with over 100 million records sold worldwide. Whether it's his striking vocal tone, his stellar musicianship, or his knack for blending different genres, the term "genius" may be a slight understatement for Wonder. Over the course of his career, he's released singles like "Superstition," "Isn't She Lovely," "As," and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)." He's also a firm civil rights activist, in which he spearheaded a campaign to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday and advocated to end apartheid in South Africa. 

Known for her five-octave range and giving the world some of the best R&B remixes, Mariah Carey is often proclaimed as one of the greatest singers of all time. Carey's over 30-year career has spawned hits such as "Fantasy," "Hero," "Honey," and "We Belong Together." Although she's only a three-time BET nominee, she's ranked as the best-selling female artist of all time. 

An artist who doesn't let one title define him is Snoop Dogg. Yes, he came on to the scene in the early '90s as a rapper, but throughout his career, he's done so much more. In addition to releasing hip-hop albums, while also dabbling into the reggae and gospel worlds, he's become a wine connoisseur, game show host, youth football coach, and chef. Snoop won his first BET Award in 2003 for his hit song "Beautiful" as Best Collaboration. 

If there's one artist who continues to elevate throughout her career, it's Beyoncé. She may not participate in interviews like she once did, but she's the epitome of a creative who takes complete control of her artistry and tells her story on her own terms. From giving us culture-defining moments since her days with Destiny's Child, epic dance routines, women empowerment anthems, and becoming the first Black woman to headline Coachella--there's no question why Beyoncé is one of the greatest performers of all time. 

Rapper, singer, dancer, songwriter, producer, creative genius—Missy Elliott does it all. With over two decades of music videos and an astronomical sound that are still ahead of their time, Missy has always stood out among her peers. She's won Best Female Hip Hop Artist at the BET Awards five times and was recently inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (the first female rapper to do so).

Whether people call him Diddy, Puffy, or Sean Combs, everyone can agree that he was a remix king that ruled the '90s. Known as the executive who helped launch the careers of artists such as Mase, Total, Mary J. Blige, and The Notorious B.I.G., Diddy has always made sure he was ahead of the game and a pinnacle of Black culture in the music industry. Throughout his career, he's ventured beyond music and is tapped into different industries including television, beverage, and fashion.  

Lil' Kim wasn't lying in her song "Crush On You" when she famously said, "Lil Kim the Queen Bee, so you best take heed." Known as a member of the hip-hop collective Junior M.A.F.I.A., Lil' Kim is easily regarded as one of the most successful female MCs of all time. Not only did she grace fans with hit songs like, "Not Tonight" and "The Jump Off," but she's also recognized as a fashion icon who embraces her sexuality and femininity. 

Known as a singer, dancer, and actor—Usher is the epitome of a triple-threat performer. Whether he's singing ballads like "Nice & Slow" or performing alongside Ludacris and Lil Jon for "Yeah!," there's no doubt that Usher has a tremendous influence on the newer generations of R&B crooners. As one of the best-selling artists of the 2000s and a four-time BET Awards winner, Usher has been in the industry for nearly three decades and is showing no signs of slowing down. 

As much as BET has long been an advocate for the gospel industry, it's surprising that over the last 20 years, the award show hasn't honored any of the gospel greats. Kirk Franklin revolutionized the genre by going against the traditional sound, and instead blending elements of hip hop and R&B with gospel. If there was an artist that made gospel a bit more hip and cool and catered towards younger audiences—Kirk Franklin should top the list. 

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds first got a taste of the music business in the '70s, since then, he's released eight studio albums. However, his true superpower has been as one of the most sought out producer-songwriters of our time. Throughout his career, he's penned hits for artists including Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, TLC, Usher, Beyoncé, Bobby Brown, Mary J. Blige, and Brandy. 

The '90s was such a distinct era for R&B because there weren't a lot of artists that sounded like others—Monica is a prime example. Her vocal tone is intense, pristine, and poignant that always commands a room when one hears it. Over the years, some of Monica's biggest hits have included "Before You Walk Out My Life," "Everything To Me," and her most successful single to date, "The Boy Is Mine."

Jay Z once said, "I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man"—and over the course of his career, he's lived up to that line. Although he started his career as a rapper, he's transcended across a number of industries including clothing, shoes, wine, and sports management. To date, Jay Z has won seven BET Awards and still influences the new generation of MCs. 

Pharrell is a modern-day renaissance artist. Although he doesn't release a lot of solo music of his own, his contributions as a member of N.E.R.D. and one-half of the production duo The Neptunes, Pharrell has helped change the music landscape over the course of his career. The four-time BET Awards winner has penned hits for a number of artists including Frank Ocean, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Busta Rhymes, Beyoncé, and Usher. 

Brandy is the type of R&B artist who was able to become a major star in music, TV, film, and pop culture. Not only did she stand out with a raspy and acrobatic vocal tone that is soothing for any soul, but she also starred in hit shows like Moesha, played the first Black Cinderella, became the first Black singer to be the face of CoverGirl, and had her own Barbie doll—she's truly lived a dream career, while also inspiring the new generation of R&B girls.  

There aren't too many artists that can claim they invented an entire sound of music, well Teddy Riley can. In the '80s and '90s, he revolutionized a hip-hop and R&B subgenre known as New Jack Swing. Throughout his career, he's penned songs for artists such as SWV, Michael Jackson, Heavy D, Bobby Brown, Guy, and Blackstreet. 

Toni Braxton is a contralto singer known for a deep, husky, and sexy vocal tone. Over the years, she's released hits including "You Mean The World To Me," "Another Sad Love Song," "You're Makin' Me High" and "Un-Break My Heart," ultimately selling over 70 million records worldwide. 

LL Cool J is the type of entertainer who has taken his career to new heights and his longevity shows for it. Since he first came on to the hip hop scene back in 1985, he's known for his hit songs such as "I Need Love," "Going Back to Cali," "Doin' It," and "Luv U Better." More importantly, he became one of hip-hop's earliest acts to achieve mainstream success. In addition to his music career, he's also ventured into the acting world by starring in films like Any Given Sunday, In Too Deep, as well as TV shows like In The House and NCIS: Los Angeles. 

During the 1995 Source Awards, Andre 3000 famously said in an acceptance speech, "The South got something to say!" Looking back over the past 25 years, it seems like he was foreshadowing how the South would change the course of hip-hop. Andre 3000 and Big Boi, a.k.a. OutKast put the world on notice with a style that is completely their own. Throughout their career, the six-time BET Awards winners have released groundbreaking hits including "Rosa Parks," "Ms. Jackson," and "Hey Ya!"

Master P is the type of artist who refuses to stay boxed in, which is a key ingredient to his success. Throughout his music career, he released hit songs such as "Mr. Ice Cream Man," "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" and "How Ya Do Dat." While he did start his career as a rapper, he also became a record label founder, starred in films, opened restaurants, launched food brands, and played in the NBA—sounds like a dream life. 

Although R&B groups are nearly non-existent these days, there were plenty of them in the '90s with their own sound and Boyz II Men was one of them. Whether they're singing in a cappella or lacing smooth harmonies over a love ballad, Boyz II Men is adored for putting emotions into their songs, as well as putting listeners in their feelings. Throughout their career, the group released singles such as "On Bended Knee," "End of the Road," and "One Sweet Day," a duet alongside Mariah Carey. Breaking multiple Billboard records, Boyz II Men is still the best-selling R&B group of all time.