Review of Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest (2011) by Marco P — 19 Jan 2012

Watching Beats, Rhymes & Life was a real treat. Like a shotgun blast to the chest, I was instantly reminded of why I love hip hop. More than a story of the rise and fall of A Tribe Called Quest, the film explores the birth of a game-changing worldwide movement.

Among those giving their inputs and support in this film are the Native Tongues (De La Soul, Jungle Bros., Monie Love, etc.), The Roots, Common, and the legendary DJ Red Alert. But more importantly, rising high above this history is the music-- and oh what music it is.

I especially loved the scene where Q-Tip explains the story behind the cuts and samples of "Can I Kick It?" exhibiting how powerful derivation and sampling are to hip-hop and how artists can provide each other the best form of flattery by taking a classic and making it their own.