[6] The album's artwork features Lil Yachty in orange-hued water, shirtless and sporting a couple of big diamond and gold chains.

"[15] Comparing Lil Boat 2 to its predecessor, Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork labelled the album "a sequel in name only, a far cry from the candy-coated, bittersweet melodies that made him a viral sensation on the original", as well as criticizing Yachty's songwriting and sonic approach.

[10] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian concluded that "In trading his sunlit humour for tedious boasts, the rap star has only succeeded in giving more ammunition to his many critics", adding that "Lil Boat 2's main musical currency is a kind of frugal gloom, in which icy electronic drones waft over sparse beats".

[11] Scott Glaysher of HipHopDX gave a favorable review, stating "Lil Boat 2 is a simply a weird musical vacation that sets sail into the strange mind of the impactful red-haired youngster".

[13] Lil Boat 2 debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 dated March 24, 2018, with 64,000 album-equivalent units (including 7,000 pure album sales).