SummaryMichael Rapaport sets out on tour with A Tribe Called Quest in 2008, when they reunited to perform sold-out concerts across the country, almost ten years after the release of their last album, The Love Movement. As he travels with the band members, Rapaport captures the story of how tenuous their relationship has become; how their personal diffe... Read More
Directed By:Michael Rapaport
Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest
Metascore
Generally Favorable
76
User score
Universal Acclaim
8.1
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
76
95% Positive
21 Reviews
21 Reviews
5% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Jul 13, 2011
100
Poignant and powerful, complex and melancholy, the film ends with rehearsals for yet another money-grubbing comeback tour.
Jul 2, 2011
83
Beats is a welcome blast of '90s nostalgia, taking us back to a time - and a sound - that pulsates with optimism.
User score
Universal Acclaim
8.1
89% Positive
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
11% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Mar 6, 2012
9
Unless you don't like A Tribe Called Quest or you're uninterested in Hip Hop and Rap history, you have no reason not to see this. This movie illustrates the timeline of A Tribe Called Quest from highs to lows. It's a fresh documentary that will certainly put a smile on your face. The only problem with this documentary is the lack of explanation. For example, lack of music construction. While, yes, there is Q-Tip explaining how this or that song started with this or that loop, but outside of that, there isn't really much. Which is a shame because A Tribe Called Quest had some of the best loops and whatnot. Nonetheless, this is a documentary for all. Highly recommended if you were into 90's Hip Hop and Rap. 9/10
Jul 9, 2011
80
The actor Michael Rapaport (Brad Pitt's roommate in "True Romance"), in his feature directorial debut, does an admirable job recounting the group's formation and dissecting its dissolution.
Jul 28, 2011
75
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.
Jul 14, 2011
75
Tribe superfan Rapaport doesn't fawn, but he juggles too much, and the ending feels pat. It's still an outstanding effort, and one of the more honest band biopics in recent years.
Aug 12, 2011
63
It continuously feels less like straight-up reportage and more like a fan film, one built on equal parts idol worship and wishful thinking.
Jul 2, 2011
60
Though it may not have much of an audience beyond the band's fan base, it offers enough context to serve as a primer on the hugely influential Native Tongues clique and should have life on home-vid.
Nov 8, 2011
8
Fantastic documentary that makes you realize how much you miss early 90's Hip Hop acts like De La Soul and how bad Hip Hop has been since TCQ left the game.
Production Company:
- Rival Pictures
- Om Films
Release Date:Jul 8, 2011
Duration:1 h 35 m
Rating:R
Awards
São Paulo International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Black Reel Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
PGA Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
