The track became a number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 (temporarily interrupting the six-week run of Ace of Base's "The Sign"), and it also spent twelve weeks at number one on the US Hot R&B Songs chart as Kelly's third number-one R&B hit, becoming the longest-running number-one of 1994 in the US, and the longest-running R&B single at that time.

Martin Johnson from Chicago Reader wrote, "On the album’s second single, 'Bump n’ Grind', which caught everyone but Kelly off guard by becoming one of the biggest R&B hits of all time, he sings mostly about lust; his idea of subtlety is anguished longing, and he cradles his earthy melismata in soft, billowy backgrounds.

"[2] Ralph Tee from Music Week's RM Dance Update said, "Less instant than 'Sex Me' but now a firm favourite from the album, R Kelly and associates beef up this raunchy ballad with extra bass drum and snare kick for a superb slow jam.

Kelly also gives himself an opportunity to stretch out vocally on the tune, showcasing some impressive technique atop the infectious background harmonies.

British house duo Waze & Odyssey produced a bootleg of the track in 2012, sampling "Push the Feeling On" by Nightcrawlers.

At the time it was an underground favorite among famous British DJs like Skream, DJ EZ, Duke Dumont, Rudimental were playing it at clubs.

The video features Hok from the American hip hop group Quest Crew as the main person.