The Auditorium, Vol. 1 is the new joint album from venerated emcee and multi-hyphenate Common, and fellow legend, super-producer Pete Rock — it’s a pairing of two of the most acclaimed hip-hop figures in the genre’s history. The producer who helped invent the soulful sound of classic hip-hop and the famed lyricist known for pensive wordplay have teamed up to deliver one of the year’s most inspired releases. It speaks to Common’s musical history, as the man born Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. has always delivered his best work alongside another singularly creative mind.

Since the mid-1990s, it’s been a popular practice for the most noteworthy artists to recruit a cadre of hitmakers when it’s time to record an album. It’s become standard for artists to roll out a splashy list of big names on production when announcing their next project. But there’s something to be said for the classic approach of a singular producer guiding an artist’s vision; there’s no denying the potent chemistry of a Quincy Jones working with a Michael Jackson — even if it doesn’t always yield a “Thriller."

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