The alleged assailant of Dr. Dre at last year's Vibe Music Awards reportedly confessed to being paid by Dre's sworn enemy, Marion "Suge" Knight.

Dre's attack set off a melee which continued until it was contained by authorities with pepper spray. According to reports, Johnson claims Knight gave him $5,000 and agreed to forgive a brother's financial debt in exchange for punching Dre in the head as he waited to receive a lifetime achievement award.

Dre and Knight have a rivalry that dates back to when Dre, then Deathrow Records co-founder along with Knight, left the label to form his own and enjoy greater success then Knight ever had.

In the brawl following the assault, Johnson was then allegedly stabbed by G-Unit member Young Buck. Buck, aka David Darnell Brown, pleaded not guilty yesterday in L.A. County Superior Court to assault with a deadly weapon.

Johnson, a 26-year-old parolee, faces a life sentence because he's a possible three-strike offender.

Johnson told cops he attended the show as part of Knight's entourage, and that Knight was determined to embarrass Dre on his big night.

Knight was not invited to the awards show.

Young Buck remains free on $500,000 bail, while Johnson is still behind bars in lieu of a $1.4 million bond.

Knight's lawyer, David Chesnoff, denied the claims.

"There is absolutely no truth to it," Chesnoff said. "I am so confident that there is no issue."

As of press time, investigators had not questioned Knight.