[14] Chris Coplan of Consequence of Sound gave the album four out of five stars, saying "Sure, Jay and Ye are probably friends, maybe even with secret, $100,000 matching bracelets that say “Besties 4 Life”.

Run the Jewels, on the other hand, is the very synthesis of El-P and Mike’s shared admiration and cohesive worldviews, an effort of the purest collaboration and mutual understanding.

"[25] Maya Kalev of Fact gave the album four out of five stars, saying "Run the Jewels is savage and witty, rich in gritty truths and genuinely affecting wisdom.

"[26] Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars, saying "The introductory salvo from rap superduo Run the Jewels is a fine example of a union that is so perfect one might wonder how the universe existed before it.

The combination of Killer Mike's menacing Hulk power and El-P's sneering quips and lively production make Run the Jewels a thrilling experience.

"[15] Lucy Jones of NME gave the album an eight out of ten, saying "Killer Mike’s Atlanta baritone drawl is like a rich, syrupy chocolate fudge cake compared to El-P’s hyper, sinewy flow and, along with supporting actors Big Boi and Prince Paul, the synergy here is bang on the money.

"[20] Omar Burgess of HipHopDX gave the album four out of five stars, saying "If there’s a knock on Run The Jewels, it’s that it won’t be particularly accessible to those who have been desensitized by hours of dumbed-down radio and television programming.

Big Boi of Outkast spits on "Banana Clipper" over dislocating synth stutter, and perennially underseen De La Soul producer Prince Paul shows up for the rattling "Twin Hype Back," on which Run the Jewels promise to "dance on your windpipes" and make it feel like a doctor's orders.