90% Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest

All Critics (51) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (46) | Rotten (5)

Rapaport gets at the dynamics of a group that struggles even now to get along well enough to get paid - again.

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.

Thanks to a particularly even-handed job by director Michael Rapaport, the story emerges as compelling, even for non-fans in the audience.

The movie gets the beats and rhymes down pat, but the life part is a little messy. Oh well, two out of three ain't bad.

The emotional honesty Rapaport captures on screen comes off as real, a cut above standard-issue Behind the Music drama in terms of believability.

Somewhat against the odds, Rapaport manages to parlay his access and sycophancy into the plaint of a concerned fan: Please, fellas, squash this.

An adoring, though enlightening, look at the tumultuous run of the influential hip-hop group.

That mood of musical unity, of a sonic movement, is incredible, vibrantly recounted in Beats. It's more than just a documentary, it's a time capsule of hip hop originality and confidence.

The movie's value is in informing and illuminating, not provoking.

It's difficult to get a grasp on just what audience this documentary is made for.

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.

Even if you think you don't like hip-hop you may find yourself captivated by the musicality of A Tribe Called Quest, and that alone is reason to watch this documentary...

Respectful but not idolatrous, this is one 'Behind the Music' piece that even those who have never heard of the group can appreciate.

If you want to know what hip-hop is all about, this 'rapumentary' is a fine place to start.

It tells a real story that is both complex and coherent, putting ATCQ's impact on the level of what Dylan and The Beatles provided in their respective moments in musical history. And the argument is well made.

Good vibes propel what is a fairly straightforward account of the band's formation, album output, and acrimonious breakup.

There's nothing new about the bickering between lead rappers Q-Tip and Phife, or their redundant breakup-and-reunion cycle. It helps that these lyricists are our key narrators, so at least they add wit and humour to their brief history.

I approached "Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest" with a music lover's curiosity and a film lover's fondness for documentaries. I was not disappointed on either count.

There are scenes toward the end of the movie that hint at a fuzzier tomorrow for Tribe, but you leave appreciating the music as it was, not hoping for anything else.

The band's politically charged hits still sound as fresh as when they were recorded, and their side projects may have improved with age. I had to download Jungle Brothers' "Black Is Black" the minute I left the theater.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/beats_rhymes_and_life_the_travels_of_a_tribe_called_quest/

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