I remember loving it when it dropped. It was a dope album. I was playing Dead Presidents 1 for a while before it came out.

Tracks 1-8 were certified bangers.

With that said, it was in fact just another album in 1996 which was the most prolific year in hip-hop in my opinion.

There were just so many good albums that were on its level or better.

I really don't remember comparing him to Big and Nas.

He wasn't the 3rd MC in that group at the time.

Raekwon, Prodigy, AZ, Meth, Redman...there were others people listed before him.

The thing Jay did was manipulate his audience. That's what he's best at. He started all of this "I'm going to say I'm the best until they believe it" shit.

He was Big's AZ but the difference is, on Vol 1 he started saying "who's the best MCs, Biggie, Jay-Z and Nas"

So then people started comparing them.

See, Jay understands that the people are sheep.

Fast forward to Blueprint and then he starts saying Reasonable Doubt is a classic on the same level as the other great albums.

Truth is that it isn't.

It's not Illmatic.

It's not Ready To Die.

It's not Cuban Linx.

It's not Infamous.

It was never on the level of those albums.

Not to mention is wasnt as good as albums dropped the same year by Kast, Roots, Ghost, Red, and De La to name a few nor was I as big as either Pac album to drop that year.

That doesn't take anything from it though. It's a great album and that Source ranking is accurate.