Common - The Auditorium Vol. 1 '2024

Tracks list

In the opening line of Common's classic 1994 single about hip-hop, "I Used to
Love H.E.R.," the Chicago native declares "I met this girl when I was ten years
old, and what I loved most, she had so much soul." With that in mind, it seems
borderline shocking that a seemingly inevitable pairing with Pete Rock didn't
happen until 2024. 

Timing aside, each figure looms large in the hip-hop community, and it's hard to
not know the personas of Common and Pete Rock respectively. Though the masses
may know him as a successful actor, Common's progressive and soulful approach to
hip-hop embodies the jazz spirit of Chicago, with complex yet free-flowing
rhymes delivered effortlessly since 1992's Can I Borrow a Dollar and its classic
follow-up, Resurrection. Common's butter-smooth vocals helped mold the conscious
rap movement, logging early hits with Jay Dilla, Kanye West, The Roots and
others along the way. He's not just the villain from John Wick: Chapter 2,
Common is a legend in his own right.

There's a reason why Pete Rock responds to the classic James Brown moniker of
"Soul Brother No. 1." As a producer and member of the golden-era duo Pete Rock &
C.L.Smooth, his approach and sampling—a pastiche of classic funk and
R&B—were and are second to none. His productions, like rap greats Madlib
or DJ Premier, are identifiable immediately, even without his usual tells of
"unh!" or "woo!" sprinkled across the up-beats for emphasis. 

Knowing their backgrounds, it is pretty clear to understand how The Auditorium
Vol. 1 would land squarely on the "soul" leanings of the pair. Opening with
"Dreamin'," Pete Rock somewhat predictably uses the classic Aretha Franklin hook
to "Day Dreaming" as its launch pad, punching it up with cascading pianos and
horn sections to decorate the propulsive boom-bap. "We're on our Way" borrows a
Grant Green-style guitar lick with a tight snare and hi-hat to anchor the
soulful vocals that juxtapose with Common's delivery. In fact, all of the tracks
dip into the characteristic Pete Rock toolkit with the exception of, oddly
enough, the first single "Wise Up," which uses a cacophonous sample of "The
Bridge" by MC Shan against a piano loop to create a dizzying mash up that seems
out of character, yet no less compelling. 

The Auditorium Vol. 1 is predictably a well-executed but far from revelatory
pitch down the middle for fans of the golden era, bursting with songs that feel
like unseen relics from the late '90s/early '00s; some might call it timeless
while others might say dated. While the collaboration won't win over any new
fans, that doesn't seem to be the goal anyway—it's just to make smooth
and clever rhymes over soulful, well-crafted beats. And with that in mind,
Common and Pete Rock have done more than most could ask. ~Fred Pessaro



Tracklist:
1.01 - Pete Rock, Common - Dreamin' (4:01) 
1.02 - Pete Rock, Common - Chi-Town Do It (4:26) 
1.03 - Pete Rock, Common - This Man (4:03) 
1.04 - Pete Rock, Common - We’re On Our Way (4:16) 
1.05 - Pete Rock, Common - Fortunate (4:14) 
1.06 - Pete Rock, Common, Bilal - So Many People (5:14) 
1.07 - Pete Rock, Common - Wise Up (3:47) 
1.08 - Pete Rock, Common, Jennifer Hudson - A GOD (There Is) (3:47) 
1.09 - Pete Rock, Common - Stellar (4:24) 
1.10 - Pete Rock, Common - Lonesome (4:36) 
1.11 - Pete Rock, Common - All Kind Of Ideas (3:48) 
1.12 - Pete Rock, Common, Posdnuos - When The Sun Shines Again (4:45) 
1.13 - Pete Rock, Common, PJ - Everything’s So Grand (6:04) 
1.14 - Pete Rock, Common - Now And Then (4:30) 
1.15 - Pete Rock, Common - Outro (0:56)

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