 Evan Rytlewski of "Prefix Magazine" gave the album a seven out of ten, saying "On his 2003 debut, he was arrogant and scattered, too often losing his train of thought and reaching for throwaway puns.The Joe Budden on "Padded Room", however, is focused and hungry, spinning dense, psychological yarns that build for dozens and dozens of bars.Budden scratched and clawed for his second chance, and he hasn't squandered it."