How can Ice Cube be loosing? Sure Dre has 2001, but what about AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Death Certificate and The Predator? Also he was in Friday ffs.

He wasn't just in Friday, he wrote it.

He's one of Gangsta Rap's (or even 90s rap's) strongest writers overall. The Predator has some of the best G Funk beats, he can tell a great story, etc. His only weakness is a predictable flow but really idiosyncratic rhyme scheme/flow is a rare trait.

I think his flow is only predictable because he was so influential. Back in his heyday he never seemed predictable at all.

I don't even see how it's predictable. Ice Cube wins this easily for me.
His voice alone makes him one of the best rappers ever. His early albums still haven't been topped often. His later stuff sucks but that's to be expected, I guess.
Easy-E can't even contend although he had a far more interesting persona than Dre ever has. I'm not happy that he's dead but at least E never put out any shitty albums like Ice Cube did.
And Dre is kind of a background player, like a "5th Beatle" type of artist. He produced some really good records. His raps are pretty okay, none are great.

I don't personally find it predictable, he's one of my favorite rappers. I was just saying that I could see how it could be perceived that way by someone who doesn't remember the time when he was new.

How this 'debate' has spanned 15 pages I cannot fathom. Allow me to provide some closure.

One guy is a producer. The other was an unfunny gimmick. That leaves just Ice Cube. If we're talking about who is the best hip-hop artist then Ice Cube is the only reasonable answer. Although he is also guilty of putting out a 'gangster' front to shift records, that was very much the style at the time he came up and Cube was always gifted enough that he didn't need a gimmick in order to warrant success.

Why on earth would "he's a producer" be a reason to dismiss Dre out of hand?

He makes beats. If it wasn't him it'd be someone else.
He's easily dispensable and I believe DJ Yella actually produced the majority of NWA's work.
Ice Cube was easily the best rapper in the group and released several influential albums.
On his own back, Dre only has the highly over-hyped Chronic to call upon. Sure, he's produced a bunch of stuff; but for who, Eminem, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg?
I'd rather he hadn't.

Doggystyle did have some hot beats, that I'll concede. But Slim Shady was just whack.