"esgn" received generally positive reviews from music critics. at metacritic, which assigns a weighted rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 73, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 5 reviews. anthony asencio of hiphopdx gave the album three and a half stars out of five, saying "ultimately, "esgn" may not be a cultural event. it doesn’t introduce a new sound, nor does it feature many moments we haven’t heard before. yet what makes this album important are all the reasons hip hop needs freddie gibbs. on any one album, he can give you pieces of tupac, ugk, three 6 mafia, and blend them into a harmony that would make bone thugs-n-harmony proud. and on that point, esgn is a massive success." chris mench of "xxl" gave the album an l, saying "none of this criticism is to say that "esgn" is a bad album. freddie is a talented rapper with great flow and a wise selection of collaborators, and many songs are individually effective. rather, it is simply an album that lacks a clear perspective on the many heavy topics it tackles. a first time listener may walk away feeling very familiar with freddie gibbs’ sound, but still unsure of who exactly he is." david amidon of popmatters gave the album a seven out of ten, saying "for those hip-hop fans forever in pursuit of the latest glass-shattering bass and semi-auto mob rules, "esgn" is likely 2013’s flagship release. this is gibbs’ deep breath; let's see what direction he takes off running in next."