Justin Timberlake's New Album Is A Classic Says 1500 or Nothin's Larrance Dopson

Justin Timberlake's musical comeback will put him back in A-list contention ... at least, that's the prediction his producer Larrance Dopson wants fans to stamp!!!

TMZ Hip Hop spoke with the "1500 Or Nothing" maestro Wednesday at LAX, where he gushed about JT's new album, a project he's heard first-hand -- because he worked on it with Timbaland!!!

Last year, JT blessed 1500 or Nothin's music academy with scholarship money and their partnership was dipped in bronze ... leading up to the album's creation.

We gave you the scoop last week ... JT is set to release his upcoming 6th LP "Everything I Thought I Was" after scooping up all the trademarks -- and Rance promises he's going to blow up the game, again, with the album.

JT officially jumpstarted the project Friday with the lead single "Selfish" -- which was met with fairly mixed reviews online ... but fans were loving the live rendition during his Memphis homecoming concert last week. It just may be a grower, not an instant shower.

Rance also had time to stick up for Drake after Yasiin Bey (a.k.a. Mos Def) kicked him out of rap's b-boy section, declaring his music was too happy-go-lucky to be classified as authentic hip hop.

Later for all the rappity rap talk, according to Rance, who says Drake uses fewer words than even the most skilled MC and still nets a pop-sized audience.