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The Auditorium Vol. 1 is a collaborative studio album by American rapper Common and producer Pete Rock. It was released on July 12, 2024, through Loma Vista Recordings, making it Common's fourth album for the label. The album was entirely produced by Pete Rock, with co-production from Tuamie, as well as guest appearances from Bilal, Jennifer Hudson, PJ and Posdnuos.
The Auditorium Vol. 1 was met with acclaim from music critics. According to the review aggregator Metacritic, The Auditorium Vol. 1 received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 from 6 critic scores.
Robin Murray of Clash praised the album, saying "finely sculpted and perfectly executed, The Auditorium Vol. 1 finds Common and Pete Rock utilising experience to their advantage. Creating a storm on its release, the perfectly executed roll-out trod the line between fan-service and expertly distilled creativity". Sy Shackleford of RapReviews also gave the album nine out of ten score, saying "wasting no time and not adding any filler, the psychedelic soul of "Dreamin'" kicks off the album with Common sounding as though he hasn't aged vocally", adding that "the album title has 'Vol. 1' as a suffix, indicating there's more to come. I hope so because The Auditorium, Vol. 1 is the kind of listen that makes one wonder what's next from the two". Stevie Chick of Mojo stated: "fielding love songs, existential ruminations and anthems of solidarity and resistance, The Auditorium Vol. 1 finds rap's self-proclaimed James Baldwin sermonising in the key of life on its every glory and struggle, offering hope amid the darkness and remaining a voice of mature wisdom in a rudderless world. It's one of his very best". Simon Vozick-Levinson of Rolling Stone concluded: "this is an easygoing, respectful tribute to hip-hop's essence and realness, full of affectionate references to the music that's still close to Common's heart after all these years. Flowing deliberately over a luxurious spread of prime Pete Rock beats, the griot from Chicago raps with wisdom and patience".
Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Andy Kellman called it an, "incontrovertible testament to the men's crucial roles in the culture across three decades," and claimed that both Common and Pete Rock, "achieve studio symbiosis with an uplifting collaboration that is nostalgic yet never sentimental, speaks to the present, and feeds the soul as much as it does the body and mind."
