10 July 2011

Beats, Rhymes, and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest (2011)

Listening to: DJ M-Rock's Best of Tribe mix.

If you're a Tribe fan, this film is above a must-see; what I'm curious is about what non-Tribe people will think of the movie. Without the emotional and historical connection to Q-Tip, Phife, and Ali, is there something that still resonates? My guess is "yes," because Michael Rapaport's assured direction takes the movie beyond a generic behind the music documentary. He highlights the impact ATCQ had on the hip hop scene while also capturing the relationship between their musical forebears, other artists, fans, and each other.

I tried to watch this on a rainy opening night but all three evening shows were sold out. Anticipating another huge crowd, I bought tickets early the next morning. Surprisingly, the ten o'clock showing was only half full. I guess watching a movie doesn't line up for most people's Saturday night plans. They all missed out.

Also, please go ahead and read Reena's post on ATCQ, which pretty much captures everything I have to say on the topic. Fate prevented us from watching the film together, which was a great tragedy. I did get to experience Beat, Rhymes, and Life with the friend who introduced me to Tribe, which was perfectly fitting.