In retrospect, Christgau remarked said, "If Dre and Big Boi were addressing real 'real life situations' on "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik" or "ATLiens", they were drawling too for any to tell." Steve Juon of RapReviews was more receptive, calling it "a stellar debut album", albeit with some musical flaws, including the "monotonous bassline and chorus" of "D.E.E.P.", the "out of place" "Funky Ride", and the album's segue tracks. Music journalist Peter Shapiro found its production "rich, deep and detailed, but never as seductive or crowd-pleasing as Dr. Dre's" and commended the album as "a melancholy depiction of the game that never shied away from its consequences". Although he found "occasional dull and mediocre spots", AllMusic editor Stanton Swihart called the album "an extremely strong showing" and praised the duo's "inventive sense of rhyme flow" and "mixture of lyrical acuity, goofball humor, Southern drawl, funky timing, and legitimate offbeat personalities."