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A documentary charting the travels of A Tribe Called Quest, pioneers of alternative rap in the late 80s and early 90s, was released on July 8th to enthusiastic reviews. The director, Michael Rapaport, is also known for his work as an actor on shows such as ‘Prison Break’ and ‘War at Home’, and films like “Bamboozled” and “Deep Blue Sea”.

“Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest”, documents their relatively short-lived careers nearly thirteen years after their last studio album and three years after their temporary 2008 reunion for the “Rock the Bells” tour. The documentary debuted at the Sundance Festival, and has been called “one of the best docs of the year”.

There is an emphasis on the sometimes strained relationship between PHIFE DAWG and Q-TIP, and there are some excellent lines throughout the documentary. Phife talks about how Q-Tip wanted the band to be called “Q-Tip and A Tribe Called Quest, like Diana Ross and the Supremes…I’m Florence Ballard? Get the f*ck outta here.”

Asked whether the band will ever get back together, Phife said “It’s up in the air. It’s the million-dollar question. I really don’t know the answer. A lot of people think I’m fibbing. But I can say in my heart, I hope it happens.”