^^Not at all really, if someone throws a classic label on an album that isn't argueable, best believe people are quick to check em. It might be thrown around too often like you say, but it is thrown around, not accepted.
Many say he "sold out" with production from this album, which on Illmatic, he was just working with the hottest producers at the time, nevertheless that shouldn't effect the music. For me this album cemented my liking for Nas, i like it a lot. To me i would say it is a personal Classic. But in the Hip-Hop world, i wouldn't say it is. Illmatic, Paid In Full, The Low End Theory, to name a few classics have no skippable tracks. This album I skip one, two, maybe three songs when I feel like it, not always. Part of the reason i could understand someone not calling it a Classic. But this is a very very solid album and shouldn't be overlooked by most "Heads" cus they think the album is irrelevant because it wasn't Illmatic and it was before Stillmatic.