Common & Pete Rock Release Collaborative Album ‘The Auditorium, Vol. 1’: Listen

Common made a solid impression this year, having teamed up with the legendary Pete Rock and bringing back the nostalgia of the golden age of hip hop. The boom bap based beats capture the new and old as Common weaves intricate verses taking the listener on a timeless lyrical journey, bringing back what really meant to be an emcee.

After the solid singles run in days leading up to album release, with amazing tracks like ‘Wise Up’, ‘All Kind of Ideas‘, and most recently, ‘Fortunate‘, the album is finally out for a complete listening experience. In hindsight, ‘Wise Up’ as the lead single to kick off album talk was certainly a wise move indeed, and ended up setting the tone for the LP to deliver beautifully on.

A special mention here must be made for Pete Rock, whose legendary status as a master of sound in hip hop is uncontested for a reason. To be able to make hip hop music like this at this stage, when the genre has evolved in so many different ways, and to be able to make it stick, is truly a talent.

The duo have truly pushed boundaries on this one, and have been active (where so many fall short) with their thirst for performances to keep momentum steady — even at this point in their established careers. One would imagine them to be comfortable, but no; the motivation and drive comes across, and especially so in their performance as part of the Vevo ctrl session, where they performed ‘Dreamin’. Arguably, the same energy can be heard on the album, a studio project, in ways that is truly remarkable.

Without further ado, here is where you can stream the full project in its entirety!