The West Coast hip-hop legend and Long Beach native tells us it's nothing personal -- he admits he doesn't know Stacey -- but he believes she lacks the strong connection to the community she'll be expected to represent.

Or as he puts it ... "You can't have somebody that don't understand the struggle of what it is in all of these neighborhoods."

Dash filed paperwork to run for a seat in California's 44th district, which includes Carson, Compton and North LB ... even though she grew up on the opposite side of the country in the Bronx.

Warren leaves the door open for Stacey, though, saying she probably means well and can take steps to improve her merit ... but it's definitely not a vote of confidence.