Know, " also found the samples and arrangements of the album's first half overwrought. "It falls way off and lands squarely in pop-rap hell.… [Lyte’s] voice has the eerie, anemic sound of a lost MC in a musical identity crisis." Even so, Morgan admitted, "She finds herself on the second side, thank God, and comes back kicking shit harder than ever over fat, simple drum beats and some seriously slamming samples." Gil Griffin of The Washington Post wrote in his review of the album "Lyte proves she shines brightest among female rappers. Eighteen well-written songs, a mixture of deliveries, and fresh beats and samples give her a rough, tough and psychedelic symmetry." Although Griffin singled out socially conscious songs like Eyes Are the Soul, Poor Georgie, and When in Love, he would also comment that "When off the serious subjects, she's a devilishly funny and clever storyteller, and a ruthless competitor-slayer - especially when she goes after other rappers on Kamikaze." People critic Michael Small noted that, in trying to branch out into the R&B genre, Lyte was spreading herself too thin, and risked "pleasing no one." While she was talented in both genres, he wrote, maintaining her "consistent skills" and proving she's a "great storyteller," the departure put her in a "confusing middle ground." James Bernard of Entertainment Weekly rated the album an A−, saying "Hip-hop does not have to be hard; it can be sensitive and smooth, as this rap vet proves on her third effort. Act Like You Know finds MC Lyte softening her image without losing her edge." highlighting especially the socially conscious "Eyes Are the Soul" and the tracks on which "she gets in the trenches with a harder microphone attack" like "Search 4 the Lyte" and "All That." In hindsight, Alex Henderson of AllMusic commented that even with a more commercial sound, the album "is far from a sellout - Lyte's music still has plenty of bite, substance, and integrity." He also considered that as in her previous album "she's at her best when telling some type of story instead of simply boasting about her rapping skills." In July 2016 it was included by The Boombox at 24 on their list "The 25 Greatest Rap Albums of 1991". In January 2019, Albumism's Jesse Ducker called the album "a small misstep" in Lyte's career. Track listing The song writing information is according to the ASCAP