How Many Licks? VH1 wrote that the single and other tracks from "The Notorious K.I.M." have a "glossier and far more commercial" sound than the rapper's previous releases. The lyrics of "How Many Licks?" are part of a movement in 1990s hip hop music to express sexuality positively. Sexuality studies professor Thomas A. Foster wrote that Lil' Kim reverses a trend in hip hop music which objectifies women for the male gaze and celebrates male sexuality. Gender studies scholar Aine McGlynn described "How Many Licks?" as one of the most sexually-explicit songs to receive airplay. The lyrics describe a woman's interest in oral
How Many Licks? a Little Doe", a track from her 1996 album "Hard Core", and a remix of the American trio Intro's 1995 single "Funny How Time Flies". The rapper further introduces herself as "the female Mack". "How Many Licks?" received primarily positive reviews from music critics following its release and during retrospective reviews. Commentators praised the single for its sexual content. Michelle Goldberg of "Salon" wrote that Lil' Kim maintained a focus on her "playfully ripe side" from "Hard Core". Noisey's Adria Young referred to its lyrics in 2015 as "some of the rap diva’s most raunchy verses to date", citing the