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

You can not begin the discussion of the great hip hop groups without including A Tribe Called Quest. For some, like myself, the conversation begins and ends with them. For many who grew up at the heart of hip hop's golden age of the early to mid-90s, you could consider them to be rap's version of The Beatles. I've said many times that the first time I heard The Low End Theory it was almost like a religious experience, and I prayed at the altar of A Tribe Called Quest regularly.  Beats, Rhymes, & Life is a "behind the music"style documentary beginning from the group's humble beginnings to meteoric rise. But also, like all of the greats, internal strife would soon divide these four longtime friends. The actor Michael Rapaport, a devoted rap insider since the beginning(remember 3rd Bass?), delves into the turbulent path of the super group, presenting a beautiful piece of hip hop nostalgia full of joy, pain, and hard truths.

Kicking off with the familiar 8 Million Stories hook, "Problems, problems, problems", it's clear immediately that Tribe's story isn't all going to be one long happy trip down memory lane. In fact the film starts just after what appears to be the group's final performance together, with it's charismatic and volatile leader, Q-Tip, having a very tense back and forth with Rapaport. From there, we're introduced to the group's creation on the streets of Queens, NY. Q-Tip and Pfife Dawg were friends since they were kids in elementary school. The neighborhood in which they grew was the birthplace of  dozens of R&B and Soul greats. That influence, along with the burgeoning hip hop movement in the late 80s, led to their teaming up with DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad and longtime friend Jarobi White.

Just having a chance to listen to the group's members talk about their decade long career would be enough for a lot of people, but Rapaport wisely makes this also a story about the extent of their influence. Tribe's rise came at a time when gangster rap was blowing up on the west coast. Over on the east, rap was almost exclusively about bragging rights, with in your face braggadocio lyrics backed by pounding head nodding beats. Tribe was so different from everything else it took even the most hard core rap fan time to figure out what they were doing. Rapaport cleverly places the music in a way that allows us hear for ourselves hip hop's evolution, so that those who may only be casual fans(or not fans at all) can experience it. We see Q-Tip, the consummate crate digging producer, piecing together the drum breaks for their iconic hit, "Can I Kick It?". The impact of their hits is best presented by the stars of today(Pharrell Williams, Mos Def, Common, and many more) regaling us with stories of how their careers wouldn't even exist if not for Tribe's impact. We see the creation of the Native Tongue, the unthinkably awesome stable of rappers Tribe helped found with the likes of De La Soul, The Jungle Brothers, and more. For fans, being awash in the glow of Tribe's music and those of their peers will be like a homecoming.

With all of their success also comes a fair share of problems. Although to be honest, Tribe's difficulties seem tame by comparison to other groups that fell apart. We hear a lot from all four members, but this is really a story about Q-Tip and Pfife and how their friendship melted down into a heated rivalry. Pfife, a lifelong diabetic, was quickly succumbing to the disease which had a drastic effect on the group as a whole. Q-Tip, for his part, is often presented as an uncaring, egotistical jerk with occasional fits of rage. Pfife, always the most grounded and street member of the group, takes Q-Tip's attitude for arrogance and a superiority complex. The tension more than once almost devolves into actual fighting. Who exactly is to blame for their beef is unclear, but having seen this film a number of times now I can honestly say that my opinion has changed each time. Pfife is the sympathetic one due to the disease, but he comes off as a little jealous as well. Q-Tip is arrogant in the way most legends are, but when you see him performing the group's hits with other rappers and seeming to not care, that kinda makes you hate him just a little. At least it did for me, and I'll be first to admit that watching Tribe's collapse was painful to the point of tears. For a group that was all about love and understanding, there was very little of either to be found.
For a first time director, Rapaport skillfully weaves their tale and does what so many documentarians fail to do, which is keep himself out of the action. He remains mostly out of the frame and his voice non-existent, except when the fan in him can't help but come out. It happens at the moments when I, and I bet other diehard fans, would have been too excited to remain quiet. He's a true enthusiast, and that comes through in every single moment. The score is absolutely amazing, and interweaves with the narrative perfectly. I dare you not to nod your head or tap your feet the entire time. A remarkable achievement and the best movie about hip hop yet, even those unfamiliar with Tribe will get sucked into their story.

What is clear is that Q-Tip hasn't exactly been silent on his thoughts about the film. Let's just say he ain't a fan. Clearly he feels that his side of the story wasn't properly represented, and maybe it was. But I think Pfife sums up their situation best: "It's really bulls**t at the end of the day".

Trav's Tip: Please check out my interview with Michael Rapaport and Pfife Dawg as they talk about the hard road to getting this film made. You can watch it on our Youtube page, or by clicking here!