Dr. Dre could have just put his own name down when asked to name the greatest hip-hop producer of all time, but the legendary beatsmith had someone else in mind. On the first episode of “Listen & Laugh,” the new podcast hosted by Ice Cube and Mike Epps, Dre singled out producer Larry Smith as one of the most impressive producers he met in his formative years. His answer was an admission that he feels is hugely underrated in shaping the sound of early hip-hop.

The first guest on the podcast was Dre, and the two talked about a lot: his career, what he’s learned in the music industry, what he’s doing now, and his controversial use of artificial intelligence in music. Ice Cube asked Dre to think about which producers influenced him most. Who was your favorite producer of all time? Dre answered

“It was difficult to pick one name instead of just pulling somebody right off,” he said. He excepted Quincy Jones, then called Larry Smith as the producer who especially inspired him. Dre clearly loved Smith as he detailed what made him so special, mentioning the music he created for artists who shaped his view of hip-hop.

“Larry Smith don’t get his flowers,” said Dre, before adding his own caveat. He called Smith the greatest producer in hip-hop history and listed several artists whose music he produced, including Whodini, Run-DMC, the Fat Boys, LL Cool J and Kurtis Blow. And those records were among the sounds that inspired him and his peers when they were young, Dre said.

This was noteworthy because Dre himself is behind some of hip-hop’s most influential production. Rather than use the question to celebrate his own legacy, he turned it into a chance to point to someone whose contribution he thinks hasn’t been sufficiently recognized. His comments also touched on how the music of his youth still informs his thinking on production.

That’s the kind of influence Smith’s work with Dre’s artists can have, beyond any one record. His production work with Whodini, Run-DMC, the Fat Boys, LL Cool J, and Kurtis Blow put his sound in the sonic universe that inspired Dre as he forged his own path in record-making.

Dre’s response also gives the listeners a peek into the influences that shape his musical outlook. Producers are often defined by their most famous records or the artists they helped shape, but Dre’s remarks focused on the personal impact of Smith’s work and the inspiration it gave to a younger generation.

Dre’s emphatic naming of Smith turned a familiar debate of the greatest producer into a chance to acknowledge an influence he feels has been overlooked. The choice might surprise listeners who expected him to name himself. Still, the motive was simple. Larry Smith helped create music that inspired him, and Dre feels that legacy deserves far greater recognition.