"God Forgives, I Don't" received generally positive reviews from critics, who complimented its opulent production style and Ross' performance. It debuted at number one on the US "Billboard" 200, selling 218,000 copies in its first week, and charted in several other countries. By October 2012, the album had been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and had sold 588,000 copies in the United States. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, presented at the 2013 Grammy Awards, but lost to Drake's 2011 album, "Take Care".