Upon its release,
In Search of Stoney Jackson received generally favorable reviews from music critics. At
Metacritic, which assigns a
normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an
average score of 75, based on 11 reviews.
HipHopDX reviewer Michael Cusenza gave the album a four out of five, saying "
In Search of Stoney Jackson is another
Stones Throw gem mined by their incomparable in-house Konducta. It's a funky ride to Rap's far side in a car fabricated by Madlib, commandeered by Strong Arm Steady and a slew of able narrators."
Pitchfork's Patrick Sisson gave the album a 7.1 out of ten, saying "For all Madlib's eclecticism and supposedly short attention span, his work here sounds focused and sharp. The beats aren't wasted here by any means, but a different crew could have brought out even more potential." Joe Schmoh of Sputnikmusic gave the album three and a half stars out of five, saying "That disappointment resonating from the main attraction quickly boils over, as the guests and Madlib's tasteful samples give
In Search of Stoney Jackson a [
sic] off-the-cuff, mixtape-ish feeling that makes it truly a fun listen. Madlib still proves he's the master of his terrain, and certain guests slay their hosts, but for the most part, it's a mix of 90s nostalgia and the new kids, and fits together perfectly." In a mixed review, B. McGhee of
Tiny Mix Tapes gave the album a three out of five, saying "These songs are alive, but there are too many cooks, and they clutter things with all their different ideas and approaches. Madlib's instrumental interludes are weird and compelling, which is no surprise, but because of the multitude of voices, his influence is more subdued than usual."
PopMatters reviewer David Amidon gave the album a six out ten, saying "
Stoney Jackson isn't an album with big expectations, but as a result it fails to disappoint as well. After an incredibly strong start
Stoney Jackson assumes its role as a modest, strong ringing in of the hip-hop new year, and I for one am fine with that." Ben Yaster, in his review for
Dusted Magazine, wrote "Like many collaborations, the material on
Stoney Jackson is varied and can feel rudderless at moments." Vyvian Raoul of
Drowned in Sound gave the album a four out of ten, saying "In the end, perhaps
In Search… is just so inbred it's capable of little more than frenzied tail wagging on a podium – its maniac tongue lolling – all eager and expectant that someone will pin a rosette to it just for having a nice shiny coat." ==Track listing==