Barry Walters of Spin magazine said, "Today's rappers aren't interested in sharing any knowledge with outsiders.

Coolio is the great exception... the most stylistically broad mainstream rap album you'll probably hear all year.

"[15] Entertainment Weekly ranked the album #4 on EW's Top 10 Albums of 1995, and said, "The level-headed street philosopher, preaching respect for black women, fatherly responsibility, and safe sex... continuing in the great tradition of Sly Stone and Stevie Wonder... Coolio and his crew make the ghetto seem not just a place of desolation, but of hope.

"[9][16] The Source magazine's Allen S. Gordon wrote, "The crazy braided one brings skilled and insightful lyrics that reach and relate to all levels of the Black experience... sets standards that corny lyrics and catchy loops can't compete with... Few artists can straddle the line between commercial and underground hip-hop.

"[18] NME gave the album 7 out of 10, and said, "Instead of playing the role of the Uzi-toting big-shot, he adopts a more reflective view of urban life in Los Angeles...