Nick Cannon believes slain rapper Tupac Shakur will one day become more iconic than rock 'n' roll star Elvis Presley.

The rapper/actor was devastated when he heard Shakur was murdered in 1996, and he continues to listen to the hip-hop star's music to this day.

He tells Blender magazine, "Tupac's the greatest MC ever. He could talk about his love for his mom and at the same time, he'd talk about the strip club and how much he hates the police.

"He was more than a rapper - he was a cultural icon, a poet, an activist in the community, a modern-day philosopher. I think his legacy will be greater than Elvis...

"ALL EYEZ ON ME was my anthem. I wanted everybody to be watching me at all times."