The Auditorium Vol. 1

The Auditorium Vol. 1 is the fifteenth studio album by American rapper Common. It was released on July 12, 2024 through Loma Vista Recordings, making it his fourth album for the label. Production was handled by Pete Rock. It features guest appearances from Bilal, Jennifer Hudson, PJ and Posdnuos.

Critical reception
The Auditorium Vol. 1 was met with acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 82, based on four reviews.

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".