 Esham took advantage of the live band instead of the focus on heavy sampling that previous group albums featured.Allrovi described the sound as "a potent collage of gritty hip-hop beats with an aggressive rock tone", noting the relevance of this sound in relation to the group's influence on rap rock artists like Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit.Murder Dog magazine rated this album #1 of all rap albums released in 1999.