God Forgives, I Don't received generally positive reviews from critics, who complimented its opulent production style and Ross' performance.

By October 2012, the album had been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and had sold 588,000 copies in the United States.

Rick Ross revealed the title of the album on January 4, 2011, during an interview with the Breakfast Club, along with the first promotional single "Made Men" featuring Drake.

"[3] In September 2011, Drake spoke on the album during an interview with MTV saying: "That God Forgives I Don't; the only way I can describe it, it's like Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle, The Notorious B.I.G.

"[6] In an October 2011, interview with hip-hop magazine XXL, Bun B confirmed that he would appear on God Forgives, I Don't, but did not make the final cut of the album.

[8] On October 4, 2011, Ross appeared on the radio station Hot 97; during an interview with Funkmaster Flex, he premiered two promotional singles for God Forgives, I Don't, titled "You the Boss" and "I Love My Bitches".

[16] After much anticipation and an initial push back, Ross announced that the album would be released on July 31, 2012, at an MMG Press Conference on May 2, 2012.

[25] Ross also spoke to Vibe about working with Dr. Dre saying, "I got to be in the studio with him and watch him turn those knobs which has been a dream of mine since Straight Out of Compton and I just wanted to ask him.

[26][27] "Pirates" features a backing track consisting of pianos and "bombastic drum hits", with Ross reflecting on the success he has achieved, the hardships he suffered in his early life and the artists who have inspired him, including the late The Notorious B.I.G.

[26][28] "3 Kings", a collaboration with fellow rappers Dr. Dre and Jay-Z, was felt to be the album's intended centerpiece by many critics, due to the high-profile nature of the artists involved.

[30] Jay-Z, meanwhile, discusses major events in his life since he became a celebrity, including a $150 million deal with concert-promotion company Live Nation, and the birth of his daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.

[30] "Ashamed" is a "plush luxury rap", as described by Jayson Greene of Pitchfork,[29] in which Ross observes and attempts to justify the lives of drug dealers, and he also recalls difficulties his mother encountered due to her low-paying career.

[35] The elegant, "smooth as silk" backing track also contains influences of jazz, as well as cymbal downbeats, saxophone sounds, string instruments and a guitar solo, performed by fellow rapper André 3000, who also provides vocals on the song.

[41][42] In October 2011, Ross published the first promotional picture of God Forgives, I Don't on his Tumblr page, which showed a release date of December 13, 2011.

Rick Ross said that the December 13 date was still tentative, but the album was likely to be pushed back to a 2012 release because of the health scare he suffered in October.

Ross expanded by saying that because he was resting due to doctors orders, he was unable to work and had to postpone the groundwork of his album, which he felt was highly important.

Consequently, Def Jam Records and Ross' own Maybach Music Group label had scaled back promotion of the album.

The tape contained all new material and features from the likes of Diddy, 2 Chainz, Wale, Meek Mill, John Legend, Nas, Drake and French Montana, among others.

[46] On July 16, 2012, Ross along with Maybach Music Group, began the GFID Promo Tour, appearing on radio shows and doing interviews to promote the album.

[63] In July 2012, Ross spoke on the concept of "Hold Me Back" with MTV News, saying "That's the struggle, the angle I wanted to take on that record once again from somebody who may not have much, but that don't determine where you end up in the game.

[64] On July 19, 2012, Funkmaster Flex premiered one of the more anticipated tracks of the album, "3 Kings" featuring rap icons Dr. Dre and Jay Z.

[65] A music video was supposed to be filmed by André 3000 for his track with Ross "Sixteen" but Andre later revealed he no longer had the time to make it so it wouldn't be released.

"[31] BBC Music's Mike Diver asserted that the album "represents a game-changer" and found its "big-budget rap" tracks to be "point[ing] to further success".

[75] Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times called the album "commanding" and "complicated", and wrote that "he's succeeded by becoming too big to fail.

"[70] Rick Florino of Artistdirect praised the album as "gritty", "guttural", and "cinematic", and found Ross to be "on par with Nas and Biggie Smalls.

"[72] Slant Magazine's Jesse Cataldo commended Ross for surprisingly "continuing to find new ways to describe his largesse", and characterized the album as "silly, completely gauche, and still pretty impressive ... [a] massive exercise in excess.

"[73] Consequence of Sound's Mike Madden commented that the album "adds fascinating realism and reflection to Ross' usual over-the-top gusto.

"[34] In a mixed review, Louise Brailey of NME found the album's tone too "serious" and wrote that "only '911' continues the gilded legacy of Teflon Don".

[71] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times criticized that "Ross goes for grand gestures that don't serve him well" and called it "his least tonally consistent album, both in music and in content.

Club felt that Ross "comes across as a softened version of his usually unrestrained character" and that the album "rarely shocks or excites.