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

A Tribe Called Quest came out of Queens and changed the sound of 1990s hip hop: jazz samples, a loose rhythm, a manner that did not pick fights. They broke up in 1998. Michael Rapaport's documentary was shot during the tour that brought them back together and asks directly why they came apart. At its center is the relationship between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg: a childhood friendship, a creative hierarchy, and Phife's struggle with diabetes. Rapaport does not soften that tension, and the film ran into trouble because of it. Weeks before the Sundance screening, Q-Tip announced he did not support the film, saying he had been made the villain. The group asked for a say in the edit and producer credits; Rapaport refused to give up editing rights and agreed to the credits. Of the group, only Phife Dawg attended the festival screenings. Who it's for: Anyone interested in hip hop history, the dynamics inside a band, and music documentaries. Who it's not for: The dispute around the production shows in the film itself, and you should go in knowing this is a portrait the group did not endorse. The musical analysis is also limited.