Approaching Jay-Z's first effort over 15 years after its first release is something I'd advise any fan of hip hop to experience. While I used to love this album for its immaculate production and Jay-Z's too-smooth-for-you cadence, I've since realized that it's an extremely “safe”, boring album.

Time has not been kind to Young Hov; his flow is awkward and withdrawn. Jay-Z rarely raps about something that's worth keeping your attention; when he does, it sounds too sedated to truly resonate. There are periodic moments on songs like "D'Evils", "Regrets" and "Feelin' It", but overall this feels like a demo tape when held next to his later material.

It's obvious Jay-Z has progressed tremendously as a rapper and it's also obvious people love to hype an aesthetic over actual substance. Jay-Z himself is also guilty of this: sampling classic bars from Snoop Dogg and 1994 Nasty Nas and turning them into love letters. The whole album suffers from nostalgia: he's trying to make a "Golden Age Hip Hop Classic", but is just about 2 years late.

Perhaps the real reason this album never "blew up" was because listeners could instinctively sense that Jay-Z was holding back. Though many hip hop heads tout Reasonable Doubt as an example of "classic lyricism", the truth is that Jay-Z just wanted to be amazing, but wasn't there yet. A reality check arrives when Mr. Carter is placed next to The Notorious B.I.G., who at this point was a rapper in his prime.

I used to love this album and as my taste in Hip Hop evolved, I have come to realize most rappers really aren't all that amazing. Like artists in other mediums, it is rare when the stars align and we are presented a flawless entity. Like other artists, rappers can progress in talent, ultimately forming an arc of evolution. Being that Jay-Z would grow to become a household, trans-generational name, Reasonable Doubt is clearly his very humble, more-of-a-fan-than-a-rapper, dabblin’ beginning. Mr. Carter was in love with hip hop but just hadn't quite found his niche.