Ask most people to name the greatest hip-hop producer ever and "Dr. Dre" is the first name out. But Dre himself gave the crown to ...
Ask most people to name the greatest hip-hop producer ever and "Dr. Dre" is the first name out. But Dre himself gave the crown to somebody else.
On the premiere of Listen & Laugh with Ice Cube and Mike Epps, Dre said Larry Smith is the greatest hip-hop producer of all time — explaining how Smith inspired an entire generation but never got the recognition he deserved. Dre also gave Sylvia Robinson her flowers for her impact on hip-hop.
Smith co-produced Run-DMC's "Run-D.M.C." (1984) and "King of Rock" (1985) with Russell Simmons and produced Whodini's "Escape" (1984) and "Back in Black" (1986). Ecstasy of Whodini once called him "the Quincy Jones of rap," and DJ Premier put him #1 on his own top-5 producers list. Larry Smith died in 2014.
Sources: Listen & Laugh premiere (Nov 6, 2026); Wikipedia (Larry Smith production credits).
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