Jay-Z Thanks Rakim for Paving Road to Hip Hop Superstardom

Jay-Z's making sure to acknowledge the trail blazed by Rakim to enable his own hip hop immortalization ... giving the "Paid In Full" creator his flowers backstage at the Grammys!!!

The 2 NYC rap icons lit up when they crossed paths in a hallway, and Jay thanked Rakim for "paving the roads" -- to which Rakim stated the reciprocation had been felt as well!!!

The moment was captured by SiriusXM's Torae Carr, who also serves as a chapter president for the Recording Academy.

Rakim was long considered to be the hip hop "GOAT" before Jay took the reigns and recruited Rakim for his "Blueprint²" album over 20 years ago.

Their embrace signified a full-circle moment for fans and likely an evening highlight for Jay ... having been shut out on all 5 of his nominations for the night.

Nonetheless, Jay's household still has some new hardware arriving soon.