 Good Kid, M.A.A.D City received widespread 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 91, based on 36 reviews. Pitchfork's Jayson Greene felt that "the miracle of this album is how it ties straightforward rap thrills" to its "weighty material" and narrative. David Amidon of PopMatters felt that the album is simultaneously accessible and substantial, as it can appeal to both underground and mainstream hip hop listeners. Fact magazine's Joseph Morpurgo called it an autobiographical "triumph of breadth" and a "wide-ranging, far-reaching success". Sputnikmusic found its reach comparable to Kanye West's 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, "but with much subtler shades". Jaeki Cho of XXL called it "one of the most cohesive bodies of work in recent rap memory" and wrote that each song is "both complexly arranged and sonically fitting, foregrounding Kendrick's vivid lyricism and amazing control of cadence, and awarded it a" perfect XXL "rating." Jim Carroll of The Irish Times viewed it as an important and entertaining album that is forward thinking, even though it echoes the past era of West Coast hip hop. AllMusic editor David Jeffries characterized the album as "some kind of elevated gangsta rap" and wrote of its subject matter:
