I don't have 1 favorite, each person brings something different to the table.
A few of my many favorite producers that aren't as mainstream as a Dre, Timbo etc...:
Track Masters, Heat Makers, Just Blaze, Which ever one of the dudes that do Three 6 Mafia's beats.
I can't even comment on a MC though, there's just too many I like.
I know what you mean - I have a bunch of favorite producers and rappers but Dilla is #1
cause he brings soul in it. I mos def love beats by DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor but it was Jay Dee's beats that made me start producing (namely, Stand to the Side on Kweli's album Quality.)
Talib Kweli and Mos Def or when they were together...umm favorite producer gots to be the ppl who produce beats for mobb deep..burn was fuccin sick and half way crooks was a dope song...yea..i love common too and kanye west as producer
I can't say i have one favorite mc or producer that is better than the rest, but one of my favorite mc's is Jay-Z. One of my favorite producers is Mannie Fresh. I might get flamed for that, but the reason he's one of my favorite producers is because he has fun with his music. He don't really care about what other people think. He doesn't use equipment based on what everyone else does. He just has fun with it. Also, the fact that he made tons of beats for cash money and other artists. That man been on the grind!!! People say i look like him. I can't see it!