Beats, Rhymes and Fights is an upcoming documentary about the incomparable Hip Hop group, A Tribe Called Quest.
Directed by Michael Rappaport, Tribe emcee Q-Tip has already come out saying he isn’t supporting the documentary because, as he tweeted, “I am not in support of the a tribe called quest documentary,” he wrote. “The filmmaker should respect the band to the point of honoring the few requests that’s was made abt the piece.” With all due respect to Q-Tip, and quite a bit is due, I disagree. If Rappaport really wants to honor and respect the band and its fans, then he should tell their story honestly, not in fluff piece or hagiographic terms.
I still remember standing in Barnes and Noble, looking at the magazines and seeing the cover announcing that Tribe was breaking up. It was a big deal to me. It still is. Fans want to know what happened, what went wrong to break up the greatest Hip Hop group in history. As a fan of the group, for whom the band has been counted as one of my five favorite musical acts for 16 years now, I think this documentary is going to be epic and satisfying, while also more than a little tragic.
Watch the trailer here.
