Sundance 2011—The Return (6)

Sundance Film Festival 2011*

Park City, Utah

Beats, Rhymes &  Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest (2011)

Rated R

Beats, Rhymes &  Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest is a documentary of legendary 80s rap group A Tribe Called Quest, directed by actor Michael Rapaport. It’s all here: the humble beginnings, when the talented nobodies hook up; their deserved rise to stardom (heads bobbed as the film ran through the hits); the strain of too many know-it-alls, desires to do solo work, health issues, etc.; the inevitable breakup and reunion; and the where-are-they-now bit.

Actor/director Michael Rapaport chats up the crowd during a late-night screening of his documentary of A Tribe Called Quest. (Credit: John Brown)

REMEMBERING PHIF DAWG

What Rapaport, surely a fan of Tribe, gets right is the importance of the group and what that meant to other rappers of the day. He smartly zeros in on Tribesman Phif Dawg, the short, round, insecure yet talented co-lead rapper of the group, when another director (most directors) would be tempted to build the film around Q-Tip, the flat-out genius of the group. Phif’s easy-going nature pulls the audience in and humanizes the film, then hooks us when his health issues and clashes with Q-Tip emerge. That Phif was the only Tribe member to show up at the screening was icing on the cake.

Rapaport stumbles, I think, by not showing longer clips of the Tribe’s performances. The talking heads tell us how good they are, the film talks of Tribe’s influence and successes, but it would have been nice to hear why fans still ache for another album.

If you’re interested in the scenario: See it.

From left, Marvin Brown, rapper Phif Dawg and John Brown attend the screening of a documentary featuring Phif. (Credit: John Brown)

UPDATE: Remembering the late Phif Dawg.

*Note: Since marvincbrown.com had not been created at the time of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, I decided to go back and repost these reviews and festival  items, which were catalogued elsewhere—mainly because I needed to get these reviews into my archives, but also because it was an enjoyable experience I’d like to share.

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