Shadow of a Doubt received critical acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 78, based on 12 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[2] Michael Madden of Consequence of Sound said, "Even with all its different sounds, Shadow of a Doubt leaves one clear impression: Freddie Gibbs is a restless artist who continues to find meaning in his Gary story and beyond, knowing that the details can prepare him for whatever comes next."[3] Keith Nelson Jr. of HipHopDX said, "When he ends the album with “Cold Ass Nigga,” the most demonstrably aggressive verse on the album, you realize Shadow of a Doubt isn’t Gibbs flipping to go pop, but a man secure enough in the foundation he has laid to take a leap of faith."[6] Max Mertens of Pitchfork Media stated "While the final result is less cohesive, and could benefit from trimming two or three songs, there’s no denying Gibbs’ versatility."[8]
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