A Tribe Called Quest Documentary – Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest

A swirl of controversy surrounded Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, the Michael Rapaport-directed Behind The Music-esque documentary about veteran rap group A Tribe Called Quest, but in the end the film made it to theaters, receiving mainly positive reviews from the hip hop audiences who have seen it, as well as mainstream critics. Birthplace Magazine contributor Alisha Acquaye checked out the film, and shares her thoughts.

Famed for their super smooth, tilt-your-head-back-and-close-your-eyes, soulful rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest is back with a new project – but this time, it is for more than our nostalgic, 90s tunes starved ears.

Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest is a documentary that takes you deeper into the insight of the ingenious rap band, their personal struggles and their 2008 reunion tour. The doc, titled after their 4th studio album, is becoming a satiating piece for all Quest fans and hip hop addicts alike.

A Tribe Called Quest, the four member band that erupted from Queens, New York City during in the 1990s, has been known for their amazing lyrics, smooth beats, and unfortunately, heated differences amongst themselves. The group is more than forgiven for their behind the scenes conflicts due to unforgettable tracks like “Bonita Applebum,” “Electric Relaxation,” and “Find a Way,” that molded our already ecclectic 1990s.

The documentary was released on July 8th, after much struggle from actor Michael Rapaport. According to an interview with Rolling Stone, it was a difficult process to conduct and finalize the production, and as suspected, he had to endure quite a lot for his vision to come alive. The most difficult aspect of the creation seemed to be Q-Tip’s opinions throughout the experience. Q-Tip did not support the first leaked trailer that publicly appeared, and the Sundance screening of the movie was attended solely by Phife Dawg, as Q-Tip, Jarobi and Ali Shaheed Muhammad refused to attend.

Rapaport’s inquisitive holy grail, the answer to the question as to whether A Tribe Called Quest will ever make more music, remains elusive, but with Beats, Rhymes & Life, the first-time director achieves a commendable goal, seeming to hold the attention of viewers across the board, irrespective of their alliance or familiarity with hip hop music and culture.

Despite discrepancies that occurred off screen, the documentary was finalized and is now playing to eager viewers to experience. It is certainly an interesting film, that feature much behind-the-scenes action, archival footage and riveting, dramatic in-fighting, as well as commentary from hip hop luminaries such as Common, The Beastie Boys, Ludacris, ?uestlove, Pharrell and De La Soul.