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

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

R

Released Jul 8, 2011

1h 37m

Documentary

Music

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Popcornmeter

90%

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61 Reviews

90%

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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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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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Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

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.

Sep 15, 2011

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Kevin C. Johnson

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 5, 2011

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Jennie Punter

Globe and Mail

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.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 5, 2011

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Sabrina McFarland

Common Sense Media

Greatness abounds in this truly mesmerizing film about four musical geniuses.

Rated: 4/5

May 3, 2023

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Toussaint Egan

Polygon

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.

Jul 7, 2021

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Allen Almachar

The MacGuffin

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.

Rated: A-

Aug 6, 2020

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C H

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.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/05/23

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Audience Member

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Audience Member

I submerge myself in ATCQ albums, inject the samples in my veins and wonder in those realms for days...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

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Audience Member

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.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

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Audience Member

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

camille l

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.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Michael Rapaport

Director

Phife Dawg

Actor

Ali Shaheed Muhammad

Actor

Q-Tip

Actor

Jarobi White

Actor

Adam Horovitz

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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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