The Auditorium, Vol. 1
marks the first time
Common
-- whose discography is chock-full of LPs made either exclusively or mostly in tandem with beatmakers like
No I.D.
,
Kanye West
J Dilla
, and
Karriem Riggins
-- has shared top billing. Just a few months before the MC debuted in 1992 with the promising
Can I Borrow a Dollar?
, producer
Pete Rock
and partner
CL Smooth
unloaded their instant-classic first album as a duo,
Mecca and the Soul Brother
.
and
Pete
first linked four years later for "The Bitch in Yoo," a scathing broadside that, earlier in 2024, was brought back to light by diss-track listicles written in response to the feud between
Kendrick Lamar
Drake
Com
keep it positive here with an hour of largely feel-good material that is kicked back and rousing.
is incontrovertible testament to the men's crucial roles in the culture across three decades. They 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.
's voice has a glow to it that seems a shade or two brighter than usual. His writing is in reference-loaded top form with wordplay that (to borrow one of his devices) is with rare exception "wise common man" rather than "c'mon, man." His verses proffering wisdom, spiritual fulfillment, and all-around positivity are very much in sync with
, a master synthesist operating at full power. The producer weaves samples -- often in a hospitable Chicago state of mind -- like he has an unlimited imagination and carte blanche, subtly manipulating familiar sources and unearthing rare truffles spanning soul, jazz-funk, salsa, MPB, and consequently hip-hop. He reflects the cultural melting pot in which he grew up, and now personifies, with an uncanny ability to make it all sound fresh and connected. Take the creative way the optimistic "When the Sun Shines Again" brings together foundational
Roy Ayers
James Brown
Wu-Tang Clan
, and a circa-2001
Hi-Tek
track that features
, and still allows room for lyrical
, an exacting guest verse from
Posdnous
, and an enlivening hook from
Bilal
. Also involving contributions from
PJ
Jennifer Hudson
J Rocc
Tuamie
, the album is an inspired extension of hip-hop's 50th anniversary celebrations. ~ Andy Kellman