Anybody that said RD was a widely regarded classic when it first came out is nuts. As mentioned above, Jay really broke with Vol. 2, which was surprising considering how Vol. 1 was received (Sunshine, like Nas' Street Dreams, probably wasn't a great choice. Though it should be said that neither Vol. 1 or IWR was as bad as some fans make them out to be. But that's another post). After that album, and especially after Blueprint, his back catalog got waaaaay more shine and appreciation.

As for the purple tape, I wasn't on #teamrae&ghost, as I was a big GZA fan. But that album fit them perfectly, top to bottom. I always considered that one his Livin' Proof, as it were, as up to that point I didn't really care one way or another about Rae on the mic (though even on a bad bay he's worlds better than Dap or Mal). That album was a banger from the jump, and still kind of the standard by which both Rae and Ghost's work is judged (though Ghost may still be trying to match Supreme Clientele for most people).

Bottom line, OB4CL is, was, and always will be better that RD