West Coast OG Kurupt dropped some knowledge bombs outside Dr. Dre’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, sparking a fresh fire in the “greatest of all time” debate.

Kurupt, who was signed to Death Row under Dre, offered a clear opinion when asked about the producer pantheon. For him, Dr. Dre is undoubtedly the greatest hip-hop producer.

But then the conversation shifted to ranking MCs. Answering a TMZ reporter’s question about Eminem, Kurupt called him one of the greatest but refused to let him sit alone atop the list. Right up there, Kurupt says, is Rakim.

This isn’t a random choice. Eminem himself has long hailed Rakim, the lyrical maestro behind “Paid in Full”, as a major influence. Em has credited Rakim’s intricate rhyme schemes with igniting his own lyrical fire and propelling him to rap superstardom.

Here’s where things get interesting: Kurupt doesn’t see Rakim and Eminem as separate entities on the GOAT list. “Nobody ranks higher than the R”, he states, referring to Rakim. But then comes the twist

But Em is with the R. You know why? ’Cause they are equal.

Kurupt positions Rakim at the absolute pinnacle but reserves a spot right beside him for Eminem, acknowledging their shared lyrical mastery.

In the light of recently reignited conversation about Marshall’s place in the culture, Kurupt’s opinion adds to a long list of hip hop superstars paying Em respect and stills fire from some who try to diminish Em’s influence.

Watch the video below: