The album was entirely produced by Pete Rock, with co-production from Tuamie, as well as guest appearances from Bilal, Jennifer Hudson, PJ and Posdnuos.

[7] 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.

[6] 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.

[8] Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Andy Kellman called it an, "incontrovertible testament to the men's crucial roles in the culture across three decades," and claimed that both Common and Pete Rock, "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.