David Jeffries of AllMusic said, "It's another lark from a man who has taken plenty of them before, and while some may look to his major-label efforts for the more well-rounded LPs, they can check the Pilot Talk series for that kind of breadth, and appreciate Canal Street Confidential for the sharp and well-executed idea that it is.

"[5] Ryan Staskel of Consequence of Sound gave the album a D+, saying "What we have here is an artist in cruise control taking a premature victory lap.

If the Pilot Talk trilogy is Curren$y’s sky-high flight of fancy, then Canal Street Confidential feels more like a cab ride the day after a late night.

"[6] Jesse Fairfax of HipHopDX said, "Largely unmemorable and full of cameos that only wind up watering down Curren$y’s potential for excellence, Canal Street Confidential is a textbook case of an artist with a cult following attempting to make use of a greater budget.

Possibly the result of label interference, he trades innovation for collaborations that neither guarantee new fans or manage to impress believers.