From an objective standpoint, I don't think his first album was that bad. It had a couple of coo beats, the mixing/mastering was real nice, and the majority of the album had decent lyrics with a few good lines mixed in.
I think a lot of people passed subjective judgement on the album because they let their previous knowledge of DZ cloud their judgement to some degree. If it was some other unknown, non middle class, not from Magnolia cats first attempt at a CD, it would have received better reviews.