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

Play trailer Poster for Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest R 2011 1h 37m Documentary Music Play Trailer Watchlist
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90% Tomatometer 61 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Actor Michael Rapaport examines the music of the 1990s hip-hop group as well as the conflicts that drove the band members apart.
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Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest

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

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Critics Consensus

This documentary focuses less on the music and more on the personality clashes and in-group tensions to great, compelling effect.

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Critics Reviews

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Ben Sachs Chicago Reader 09/15/2011
This authorized documentary is more of a celebration of the legendary Queens quartet than a serious exploration of their art. But considering how brilliant they were at their peak, it's hard to disagree with the general sentiment. Go to Full Review Kevin C. Johnson St. Louis Post-Dispatch 08/05/2011
3/4
Despite accusations of nearly succumbing to spotlighting beefs over beats, the film comes off as an honest representation of a great group that's not to be forgotten. Go to Full Review Jennie Punter Globe and Mail 08/05/2011
3/4
A combination of timing, access, a visual aesthetic that reflects ATCQ's Afrocentric "surface philosophy" (as the crew's look is described) and, most importantly, story-conscious editing elevates the doc above the norm. Go to Full Review Sabrina McFarland Common Sense Media 05/03/2023
4/5
Greatness abounds in this truly mesmerizing film about four musical geniuses. Go to Full Review Toussaint Egan Polygon 07/07/2021
A fascinating and revelatory snapshot into the human dynamic behind one of the most versatile and influential hip hop acts to ever grace the mic. Go to Full Review Allen Almachar The MacGuffin 08/06/2020
A-
It shows with close detail the inner troubles of one of the most influential groups in modern hip-hop, and how they all work and strive to remain an important part of that genre's future. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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C H 05/18/2023 I love ATCQ and we do get very exciting looks at the birth of hip hop as a creative force of nature. And the iconoclasts, in their attitude, how they dressed, the topics they addressed in their lyrics. We also have the painful moments of the more toxic by the day band dynamics that lead to the breakup until they get back together to release a brilliant swan song album in 2016. See more 03/17/2019 focusing not only on the music but also on the personal relationships between members, this is a documentary that will appeal not only to fans of the band. See more 06/24/2017 I submerge myself in ATCQ albums, inject the samples in my veins and wonder in those realms for days... See more 06/17/2016 I sound like a broken record but yet again this feels like a DVD extra not a feature length documentary. I love 'Tribe' and it's interesting to hear them analysing their rise to fame and the complex group dynamics. Watching them bickering and fighting as middle aged men over money and inner squabbles is infinitely less interesting though and a little sad. See more 08/31/2015 Ignore if you are not hip hop followers at the very least but for all those who are this documentary tells the tale of 'A Tribe called Quest', duly allowing the members themselves to express their personal accounts of how the influential hip hop group came to exist and prematurely disband. See more Camille L 04/07/2015 Avec la présence de Michael Rapaport à la réalisation de Beats, Rhymes and Life, on pouvait avoir peur que ce documentaire sur A Tribe Called Quest se transforme en hagiographie à la gloire des quatre membres du groupe légendaire. Pourtant, après deux premières parties intéressantes mais pas transcendantes sur la musique et le rayonnement du groupe, Rapaport s'attaque au gros sujet du film : leur séparation. A ce moment-là, le film prend un tournant extrêmement dramatique et les deux instigateurs de la brouille, Q-Tip et Phife Dawg, ne mâchent pas leur mots. Edifiant, émouvant et passionnant, Beats, Rhymes & Life est un documentaire remarquable même pour les non-fans du groupe. See more Read all reviews
Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest

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Cast & Crew

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Michael Rapaport

Director

Phife Dawg

Actor

Ali Shaheed Muhammad

Actor

Q-Tip

Actor

Jarobi White

Actor

Adam Horovitz

Actor

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

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Movie Info

Synopsis Actor Michael Rapaport examines the music of the 1990s hip-hop group as well as the conflicts that drove the band members apart.
Director
Michael Rapaport
Producer
Robert Benavides, Debra Koffler, Eric Matthies, Frank Mele, Edward Parks
Screenwriter
Michael Rapaport
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Rival Pictures, Beats, Rhymes and Fights Productions LLC
Rating
R (Language)
Genre
Documentary, Music
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 8, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 3, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.2M
Runtime
1h 37m
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