The album features guest appearances by hip hop artists Talib Kweli, Chuck D, and B-Real, as well as production by 9th Wonder, Illmind, J Dilla, and Da Beatminerz.

[2] Marisa Brown of AllMusic gave the album 4 stars out of 5, commenting that it "mixes his socially conscious messages and his battle-honed cadence, healthy ego, and energetic production (courtesy here of Illmind, Dilla, J-Zone, and 9th Wonder, among others) into a palatable but intelligent creation that entertains as much as it educates.

"[5] She added, "Absolute Value has a few requisite tracks -- the melancholy 'Rain,' the sweet 'Back Home to You' -- but it also has a lot of sharp, thoughtful, fun material that knows how to keep the audience moving, both in body and mind.

"[7] Andrew Martin of PopMatters gave the album 7 stars out of 10, calling it "a strong representation of Ak's versatility as an emcee.

"[10] Max Herman of XLR8R gave the album a 7.5 out of 10, writing, "the MC leaves the greatest impression when he balances his hard-hitting approach with focused subject matter as he does on the Little Brother-assisted 'Be Prepared,' a soulful examination of the rap game.