Charity Starts at Home was met with universal acclaim from critics. At
Metacritic, which assigns a
normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an
average score of 88, based on seven reviews.
Nathan Rabin of
The A.V. Club stated: "with his gloriously grown-up solo debut, one of the smartest, most incisive lyricists alive proves it's possible to grow older in hip-hop while retaining your dignity". William Ketchum III of
HipHopDX praised the album, saying: "with its substantial subject matter, solid production and tightly-woven sequencing,
Charity Starts At Home does exactly what a solo debut should: showcases the artist's skill set and personality all at once".
AllMusic's Andre Barnes resumed: "a well-balanced marriage of all of Phonte's musical inclinations". Adam Fleischer of
XXL said: "undeniably,
Charity Starts At Home reminds why the rapper has been a darling of the underground for years". Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews.com found the album "overall above average album that needed a little more of something--a little more 9th Wonder, a little more swagger, a little more about the world of today--and possibly just a little less angst". ==Track listing==