Stanton Swihart of AllMusic wrote: "From beginning to end, Gang Starr's third full-length album cuts with the force and precision of a machete and serves as an ode to and representation of New York and hip-hop underground culture."[1] He added: "Every song has some attribute that stamps it indelibly into the listener's head, and it marks the album as one of the finest of the decade, rap or otherwise."[1]
In 2017, Complex placed it at number 41 on the "Best Rap Albums of the '90s" list.[12]
Credits adapted from liner notes.
- DJ Premier – producer, beats, scratches, mixing
- "The Guru" – vocals, producer, mixing
- Lil Dap – vocals (6)
- Jeru the Damaja – vocals (6, 11)
- Eddie Sancho – engineering
- Lisle Leete – recording (13), engineering
- Yorum Vazan – mixing (13)
- Eddie Sancho – engineering
- Howie Weinberg – mastering
- Marc Cozza – art direction, design
- Matt Gunther – photography
- April Walker – fashion styling
[5]
