"The 6th Sense" received positive recognition from multiple sources: Mark Anthony Neal of PopMatters considered it to be a classic song and Common's best single besides "I Used to Love H.E.R.

"[1] AllMusic writer Steve Huey considered "The 6th Sense" as well as "The Light" as "quintessential Common, uplifting and thoughtful [songs that] helped bring him a whole new audience.

"[2] Rashaun Hall of BarnesandNoble.com said that "[t]he freestyle-sounding lead single [...] showcases Common's fluid flow backed by a dense, DJ Premier beat that knocks harder than the NYPD.

"[3] Pitchfork Media writer Taylor Clark declared that on "The 6th Sense", "Common gets iller than syphilis over an addictive track supplied by Gang Starr's DJ Premier.

"[4] There is a popular remix of the song produced by 9th Wonder, which utilizes the same scratches by DJ Premier, and was shared on many P2P networks as a free download.