Roisin O'Connor of The Independent concluded that The Lost Tapes 2 "sounds like an artist rediscovering his love for hip hop in the most joyous and satisfying way", naming the songs produced by Kanye West, Swizz Beatz and RZA as the standout tracks. Rolling Stones Christopher R. Weingarten praised Nas' performance, calling him "a rap legend at his most stylistically diverse", however, he described the album as "a messy display of the many sides of Nas" at both "his most essential and least essential".
