Spin (7/00, p.160) - 7 out of 10 - "...A lesson in why hip-hop was better in the 1980s....THE BIG PAYBACK is a 'huh-huh-ha-ha' hoot....proving that the current indie boom isn't the first time hip-hop was local, weird, or free..." Alternative Press (7/00, p.92) - 4 out of 5 - "...Waxes nostalgic on the two-turntables-and-a-microphone hip-hop aesthetic....the biggest revelation is how much raw boom could be mined from such basic ingredients..." The Wire (4/00, p.68) - "...Poetic...providing reasons why HipHop was so good in 89...[with] Magna cum laude semantics..." CMJ (1/08/01, p.28) - Included in CMJ's "Best Hip-Hop Albums" of 2000. CMJ (5/8/00, p.34) - "...Rap music's obscure gems....serving as the soundtrack to the urban youth culture mag's 'Book Of Rap Lists'....School yourself." Vibe (6/00, p.222) - "...Culls some wonderful overlooked and seminal tracks from hip hop's unsung B-boy prophets. This et goes waaaaay back to the Reagan era, when rap was bursting at the seams with innovation....makes you want to break out your fly gold chains..." The Source (5/00, p.230) - "...A peek at some often overlooked records of the '80s....BIG PAYBACK style, you'll find MC Mitchski spittin' venom at MC Shan and the Queensbridge crew....ol' heads who were there will appreciate the diggin' it took to compile these joints..." Melody Maker (5/30/00, p.55) - 3 stars out of 5 - "Demonstrating exactly why New Yorkers are the people who are able to make hip-hop seem easier and more natural than breathing. You will never, ever be this cool..." Rap Pages (7/00, p.50) - "...A sound investment, a great read and an intriguing listen."

Rovi