Upon its release, "Whut? Thee Album" debuted at number 59 on the US "Billboard" 200, and peaked at #49 the following week. In June 1993, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), exceeding the sales of 500,000 copies in the United States. The album initially garnered favorable reviews from music critics due to Redman's humorous lyrics, and the album's production, which was noted as having the "EPMD sound." Over the years, "Whut?" has been commonly esteemed as a classic hip hop album, and along with "Muddy Waters", it is widely regarded as Redman's best work.