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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 12, 2024 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 62:47 | |||
| Label | Loma Vista | |||
| Producer |
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| Common chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Auditorium Vol. 1 | ||||
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The Auditorium Vo. 1 also earned a Grammy Award nomination in the category of Best Rap Album.[1]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 78/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Clash | 9/10[4] |
| The Irish Times |  [5] |
| Mojo | [6] |
| RapReviews | 9/10[7] |
| Rolling Stone | [8] |
| Tom Hull | B ( )[9] |
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.[2]
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".[4] 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".[7] 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".[6] 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".[8]
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."[3]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dreamin'" |
| 4:00 |
| 2. | "Chi-Town Do It" |
| 4:26 |
| 3. | "This Man" |
| 4:02 |
| 4. | "We're On Our Way" |
| 4:16 |
| 5. | "Fortunate" |
| 4:14 |
| 6. | "So Many People" (featuring Bilal) |
| 5:14 |
| 7. | "Wise Up" |
| 3:47 |
| 8. | "A God (There Is)" (featuring Jennifer Hudson) |
| 3:47 |
| 9. | "Stellar" |
| 4:23 |
| 10. | "Lonesome" |
| 4:36 |
| 11. | "All Kind of Ideas" |
| 3:48 |
| 12. | "When the Sun Shines Again" (featuring Posdnuos) |
| 4:45 |
| 13. | "Everything's So Grand" (featuring PJ) |
| 6:04 |
| 14. | "Now and Then" |
| 4:30 |
| 15. | "Outro" |
| |
| Total length: | 62:47 | ||
Personnel
edit- Common – vocals (all tracks), additional vocals (track 12)
- Pete Rock – production, mixing (all tracks); DJing (tracks 7, 9), vocals (7, 11)
- Soulquarians – production (track 15)
- Tuamie – co-production (track 12)
- Dave Kutch – mastering
- Jamey Staub – mixing, engineering
- Phil Joly – engineering
- Beatriz Artola – engineering (track 8)
- Nelson Robinson – engineering (track 8)
- Abbey Lewis – engineering (track 12)
- Kevin Peterson – engineering assistance
- Bilal – additional vocals (tracks 5, 8, 12), vocals (6, 14)
- Jennifer Hudson – vocals (track 8)
- J Rocc – DJing (track 9)
- Marnie Hinds-Jones – vocals (track 12)
- Posdnuos – vocals (track 12)
- PJ – vocals (track 13)
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[10] | 89 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[11] | 94 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] | 36 |
References
edit- ^ Willman, Chris (2024-11-08). "Grammy Nominations 2025: Beyonce Leads With 11 Nods as Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX Are Among Top Nominees". Variety. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ a b "Critic Reviews for Auditorium, Vol. 1 - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ^ a b Kellman, Andy (September 26, 2024). "The Auditorium Vol. 1 - Common, Pete Rock | Reviews". AllMusic. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Murray, Robin (July 16, 2024). "Common Pete Rock – The Auditorium Vol. 1 | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ Clayton-Lea, Tony (July 11, 2024). "Common Pete Rock: The Auditorium Vol 1 – hip-hop heavyweights hark back to a golden age". The Irish Times. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ a b Chick, Stevie (July 12, 2024). "Common And Pete Rock The Auditorium Vol. 1 Review: Inspired pairing produces career highlight". Mojo. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ a b Shackleford, Sy (July 16, 2024). "Common x Pete Rock :: The Auditorium, Vol. 1 – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ a b Vozick-Levinson, Simon (July 12, 2024). "Common and Pete Rock Keep True-School Hip-Hop Alive". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ Hull, Tom (August 6, 2024). "Tom Hull: Grade List: Common". tomhull.com. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Common / Pete Rock – The Auditorium Vol. 1" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Common / Pete Rock – The Auditorium Vol. 1". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 4, 2024.