Can-I-Bus garnered mixed reviews from
music critics who generally admired Canibus' battle rap skills but criticised the production. Hugo Lunny of MVRemix praised Canibus' battle rhymes but felt that the production didn't give them the necessary energy needed, highlighting "I Honor U" and "Channel Zero" for finding the right balance, concluding that "Overall, this is a good album, although anyone who's heard Canibus on 'Desperados' or 'Making A Name 4 Ourselves' is likely to find the album a bit too over hyped. However, listen to the album with fair expectations, and you'll enjoy it."
David Browne, writing for
Entertainment Weekly, praised Canibus for being able to go beyond the battle rapper image and show versatility in his topics but found the production a hindrance to his goal, concluding that "His devotion to the lyrical slam and to self-respect earmark Canibus as a contender, but it wouldn’t hurt him to learn a few things about record making–from, say,
LL?"
AllMusic's
Stephen Thomas Erlewine found Canibus' aggro delivery tiring at times no matter the beat or subject but still gave credit for remaining impactful, concluding that "Unfortunately, those moments only occur sporadically over the course of this overlong debut, but when they do happen, it's easy to see what all the hype is about." Wall of Sound's Oliver Wang felt that
Wyclef Jean and
Jerry Wonda's pop-sounding production didn't suit Canibus' tight flow and dark lyricism and preferred
Clark Kent,
Salaam Remi and LG as being a perfect match for his content, saying that "Like his West Coast counterpart,
Ras Kass, Canibus proves that his rhyme rep isn't totally fabricated, but both artists blow their bets in trying to appeal to both underground and pop audiences." Kevin Powell of
Rolling Stone felt the album lacked more personal tracks and intellectual insight to clear up the lyrical venom found throughout, concluding that "In these smoke-filled last days of the 1990s, Canibus and
Can-I-Bus are exactly what much of hip-hop has become: a lot of hype. Don't believe it." DJ Fatboy of
RapReviews found the album a big disappointment, criticizing Canibus for trying to change his hardcore lyricist image in order to appeal to a mainstream audience, saying that "It's as if he's embarrassed to be known as a battle rapper. What's wrong with that? Sure, it's a one note performance, but if he can play that one note better than all the other herbs out there, then he shouldn't waste his time and ours by switching up to a style he can't rock." ==Track listing==