Jay was coming off a platinum album, popular mini-movie and had 2 or 3 other big records out around when hard knock life dropped.
Camron had a string of hits and a couple gold albums before "oh boy".
While big l didn't get a proper opportunity, he never showed any glimpses of being a hitmaker.
Beans is his ceiling and that's an overstatement cuz beans had hits, natural marketability and a crazy backstory.
Yeah right.
Cam was luke warm to cold.......AT BEST. His first joint was trash and the Lance Undutainment joint was a colossal fukk up, not his fault, but he was in limbo to put it lightly.
Jay was flailing, lets be honest. He was trying but retrospect is easy.
How the fukk you going to say or not say an artist like L couldn't have blown? He had the streets, he had the voice, flow and was about to have the Roc-a-fella/Def Jam/Island/Universal.
If Big hadn't had Puff commercial touch and direction then he never would have blown by your theory.
Give it up.