[2] On December 14, 2017, Black Thought performed a ten-minute freestyle on Hot 97, which quickly went viral and created a buzz for a potential solo project.

[7] Reviewing for HipHopDX in June 2018, Riley Wallace hailed Streams of Thought as "one of the most exciting things to happen to Hip Hop in a long time", also stating, "With 9th's soulful production taking the place of The Roots, and features that complement without under-performing or overtaking, the project delivers a healthy dose of social consciousness, braggadocios fare, and even a little subtle shade.

"[6] Pitchfork's Brian Josephs called it "a small testament to his sustained excellence", while praising Black Thought's ability to thrill listeners "with internal rhymes and flow swaps that manage to fold years of experience and culture references into crisp narratives.

"[2] Mosi Reeves of Rolling Stone stated, "True to the title, he doesn't offer any choruses, just streams of verses that cover his own lyrical prowess, history and politics, and whatever else comes to mind", also noting the "spare and subtle" production, which "leaves the focus on Black Thought's words.

"[1] In his "Consumer Guide" column, Robert Christgau said the EP "never bogs down" and features "9th Wonder soul samples" that could be mistaken for Questlove's drumming, while citing the first track "Twofifteen" as its most "exciting" point.