A Tribe Called Quest

Q-Tip's Documentary Comments Confuse Michael Rapaport

29 Jun 2011 21:32:19 EDT

'It was confusing to me,' director tells 'RapFix Live' in response to the MC encouraging rappers to tell their own stories.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Kara Warner

Despite all of the controversy surrounding "Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest," ATCQ's Q-Tip has encouraged fans to see the documentary, which opens July 8 in select cities.

The Queens MC has bucked at how the group was portrayed in the film, and during a visit to "RapFix Live" this past March, Tip encouraged other rap artists to tell their own stories.

The doc's director, Michael Rapaport, who has weathered criticism from Tip in the past, appeared on "RapFix Live" Wednesday (June 29) and admitted that he was confused by the rapper's comments on the live stream.

"We crack the mold, we break the rules. We define this culture that we in right now, this Western culture, the sh-- that's moving around the world, whether it be Tribe to Lil Wayne, Drake to Kanye, I don't care," Q-Tip said to Sway back in March. "This hip-hop sh-- is our sh--, and when we start moving in, control your stories, man. Tell your stories — that's what I learned from this."

"I don't understand what [Q-Tip] was talkin' about with 'telling their own stories,' " Rapaport told MTV News. "I don't know if it was like, 'Hip-hop artists should direct movies about hip-hop artists,' or maybe he was saying, 'I should direct a documentary about myself,' which has never been done before."

Rapaport argued that a filmmaker doesn't need to be a hip-hop artist to effectively document the culture on film and used "Goodfellas" and "Casino" director Martin Scorsese to illustrate his point. "Martin Scorsese does movies about gangsters, and if you've ever been around Martin Scorsese, he's the furthest thing from a gangster, so I don't understand the thing about 'tell the stories yourself,' " Rapaport said, sounding perplexed.

"I don't know if he meant, 'We're from hip-hop, it should be a hip-hop director' or — I don't know who would go under the auspices of being a hip-hop director. Or if it was a racial thing like, 'We're black and shouldn't have a white director.' It was confusing to me."

The filmmaker did acknowledge that despite the back and forth between him and the rapper, he did appreciate Q-Tip asking fans to support the movie. Whether the two can reconcile is up in the air. According to Rapaport, the last time he heard from Tip was through email and it seems that the message was less than encouraging. "I haven't talked to Q-Tip," he said. "Last time I heard from Q-Tip he sent me an email and he said, 'All you gotta do is stay white and be privileged.' "

What do you think of Michael Rapaport's response to Q-Tip on "RapFix Live"? Sound off in the comments.

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Phife Reveals Q-Tip Strife, Defends Tribe Called Quest Doc

28 Apr 2011 14:45:21 EDT

'How many groups got documentaries — hip-hop — being done about themselves?' Phife Dawg asks.
By Rebecca Thomas, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway

The hardest part about being in a group is "constantly considering someone else — even before yourself," Q-Tip says in one scene from the documentary "Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest."

In 1990, four friends from a Caribbean-flavored, middle-class hamlet in Queens, New York, became the focus of a bidding war that landed them a (then-whopping) $350,000 major-label deal. All in their late teens at the time, Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi would go on to become one of the most groundbreaking groups in the history of hip-hop — and eventually one of the most divided.

That tragic division was apparent on Wednesday, when the 5-foot Assassin himself, Phife, made a solo visit to MTV News' "RapFix Live," hours before the Michael Rapaport-directed doc was set to screen at the Tribeca Film Festival. Just last month, Tip and Ali sat on the "RapFix Live" couch with host Sway (Jarobi connected by phone) and detailed their long-simmering issues with the filmmakers. Phife, who had traveled in January to Sundance in support of the doc, was notably absent. Dressed in a red leather jacket and matching sneakers, the animated MC explained why he was a no-show.

"The way I look at it, I want to benefit from the fruits of our labor while they're still ripe — sounds like a Lil Wayne line, right?" Phife laughed, with a nod to Weezy's "6 Foot 7 Foot." "We've been doing this for 20-some-odd years. I got gray hairs because of this rap stuff, not to mention the relationship that me and Tip have had in the past."

A veritable who's-who of hip-hop past and present sat in front of Rapaport's camera to help re-tell the story of ATCQ, from how they approached game-changing sophomore album Low End Theory to the making of the classic ensemble cut "Scenario" to the group's fateful decision to disband in 1998. (Archival footage of MTV's Kurt Loder breaking the news on air punctuates the latter scene.) Native Tongues members, Veteran DJ Red Alert, Angie Martinez, Large Professor, the Beastie Boys, Pete Rock, Prince Paul, Pharrell Williams and Common are just a few of the luminaries who turn up to testify.

"How many groups got documentaries — hip-hop — being done about themselves?" Phife asked rhetorically. "Run-DMC should definitely have a documentary. They're the reason why I wanted to [be a rapper]. Same goes for EPMD, Slick Rick. ... They came to Tribe Called Quest and asked us; we're supposed to count our blessings and embrace this joint right here."

Phife, who plans to release an EP and LP under the title Songs in the Key of Phife, said fans shouldn't hold their breath for new material from Tribe, either. The foursome hasn't been in a studio together in 13 years, according to P. While the documentary celebrates one of rap music's most significant catalogs with stirring scenes like the one of Tip poring over his vinyl collection as he recreates how an old Lonnie Smith record became the basis of ATCQ staple "Can I Kick It," some of the most startling scenes follow the rap icons on the road, beginning with 2008's Rock the Bells jaunt, where things begin to unravel backstage, particularly between lyrical wizards Phife and Tip.

"I think we'll get along more if we just dealt with each other on the normal more so than the actual business, because we definitely be at each other's throats," Phife told MTV News about Q-Tip. Asked if there was still tension between him and Tip, Phife responded emphatically, "Absolutely."

But "the film is dope," Phife said of "Beats, Rhymes & Life," which is set to open July 8 in New York and Los Angeles, and a slew of other cities, including Toronto, St. Louis and San Francisco, in the weeks thereafter.

And for fans holding out for the follow-up to the Love Movement, all hope isn't lost. "I don't know, man, I would like to see that," Phife admitted. "And my only reason for saying that is the fans have stuck by us. Got to give the people what they want."

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A Tribe Called Quest 'Encourage' Fans To See 'Beats, Rhymes & Life'

21 Mar 2011 14:47:05 EDT

'It's a celebration not only of Tribe, but of the culture,' Q-Tip tells MTV News, despite his disapproval of some aspects of the documentary.
By Alvin Blanco, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Although A Tribe Called Quest felt some of the business behind Michael Rapaport's documentary on the group was Industry Rule #4080 (read: shady), they still want fans to go see the film. "Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest" is a window into not only the career of one of hip-hop's most influential acts, they said, but also the culture itself.

"I encourage everybody still to see this film," Q-Tip told MTV News. "Not only because it's about us, but it's really about the hip-hop movement, man. It really, really is, that's on everything. It's a celebration not only of Tribe, but of the culture. Of what goes into making records: the ups, the downs, the switching of the times. It's a beautiful story about hip-hop. He really did a great job, and I commend him for it, still. He really did an amazing job."

According to Q-Tip, he and Tribe just want to get the story totally correct.

"Again, this is just another warning shot ... a flare coming from the cannon so that they can get this thing right," Q-Tip said.

The MC also expressed the necessity for seminal rap artists and groups to tell their stories on their own terms. "Everybody out there in hip-hop who's crossed that threshold, who's done work, who has a history — whether it be Queen Latifah or Rakim or Wu-Tang or Jay-Z or Nas or Ice Cube or N.W.A — yo, tell y'all own stories," Q-Tip said, looking into the camera for emphasis. "Be in charge of your own stories, you hear me?"

The Queens MC then likened rappers to griots: West African storytellers who share their tales via oral tradition.

"We gotta pass our own stories on," Q-Tip continued. "This is part of our tradition as African-Americans predominantly. Let's tell our own stories. We can let everybody come in and participate with us in this, but don't fall for the Hollywood, nobody's ever done this before. We hip-hop, man. This is a hip-hop nation. We crack the mold, we break the rules. We define this culture that we in right now, this Western culture, the sh-- that's moving around the world, whether it be Tribe to Lil Wayne, Drake to Kanye, I don't care. This hip-hop sh-- is our sh--, and when we start moving in, control your stories, man. Tell your stories — that's what I learned from this."

Will you check out the Tribe documentary? Let us know in the comments.

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15 Mar 2011 21:12:41 EDT

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A Tribe Called Quest Say Nas 'Initiated' Documentary

15 Mar 2011 21:08:59 EDT

But soon, the crew recalls to MTV News, Michael Rapaport took the reins.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Sway Calloway

A Tribe Called Quest were approached with the idea of doing a documentary, and they couldn't have been happier with the producer. Fellow Queens native Nas first introduced the idea of capturing the story of one of hip-hop's greatest groups of all time.

But by the time filming began, Nas receded into the background as actor Michael Rapaport took control of the project.

" 'I want to shoot a documentary on you,' " Q-Tip told MTV News, recalling a conversation with Rapaport. "I had already breached Nas with the guys, and everyone was loving that idea. So I was thinking in my head ... It'd be great to have someone we respect tell our story, who's a part of it as well, and then Mike's enthusiasm. I spoke to everyone about it. It was some hesitation [about Rapaport's involvement]. ... I think it was because Nas had initiated it."

Jarobi, who joined Sway by phone, added: "The Nas involvement kind of sweetened the deal for everybody."

According to Tribe DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad, his reservations came from Rapaport not being part of the hip-hop community.

"My hesitation was purely from a position that we're bringing someone from the outside to be a part of the inside life," he said. "We have to make sure that people understand who this family is and capture it and deliver it the same way we live our lives. It didn't matter if it was a rapper or not. Nas being part of it is good, 'cause it's someone from the inside who, from a producer's perspective, makes sure everything is what it's supposed to be."

The project has been controversial, with Q-Tip speaking out against Rapaport and the actor still moving forward with the doc, called "Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest."

Tip said the friction stemmed in part from the group's lack of control over the story, despite being listed as producers. An e-mail from the production team was inadvertently sent Tip's way, the rapper told MTV News, detailing plans to silence the group. That was one too many red flags for him.

"All of this stuff is going on, and we're still trying to move forward in good faith, and we see this e-mail, inadvertently, which was a godsend," he said. "I believe that that was the universe giving that to us and showing us who we were dealing with."

Stick with MTV News all week as we reveal more of our interview with A Tribe Called Quest and their concerns about the "Beats, Rhymes and Life" documentary.

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Exclusive: A Tribe Called Quest Talk Documentary Beef

14 Mar 2011 23:30:20 EDT

Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed, Jarobi reveal to MTV News why they lost 'trust' in director Michael Rapaport and share e-mail from producers that prompted 'red flags.'
By Alvin Blanco, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Q-Tip is finally telling his side of the story regarding Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, the Michael Rapaport-directed documentary about the legendary group that premiered at Sundance in January.

MTV News' Sway Calloway sat down exclusively with A Tribe Called Quest members Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi, who called in by phone, on Monday (March 14) and the group opened up about the misgivings they've been having regarding the doc. Up until now, fans had mostly been privy to Tip's online commentary, but they went into detail about some of the "red flags" that led them to reconsider their support of the film. (Tribe member Phife was not present.)

According to Q-Tip, on December 17, 2010, a couple of weeks after he initially expressed concern about the film, an e-mail was accidently sent to him by one of the producers that read as follows: "First off let's close the Billing Block and put it on the poster so they can't get on that. Then we'll f--- them on everything else."

Seated next to Ali in our newsroom, Q-Tip contended that the e-mail conversation clearly stemmed from the group's early concern about not being credited as producers on the film.

"I mean, what you think?" Q-Tip responded rhetorically when Sway asked about his immediate reaction to the e-mail message. "I mean, automatically you revert back, because this is some hip-hop sh-- ultimately."

But the rapper didn't "revert" and violence was averted. Still, Q-Tip maintained that despite this point of contention, the group was still participating in the film's production and were awaiting edits they requested be made.

Our interview also contradicted Rapaport's assertions to MTV News that Q-Tip was speaking for himself and not the group.

Tip said another grievance he had with the filmmaker was the questionable timing of the documentary trailer's leaking to the Internet. The nearly five-minute preview clip was also erroneously titled, he said.

"The same day of the announcement that it came to Sundance, that 'Beats, Rhymes & Fights' trailer came out," Q-Tip said, referring to an earlier version of the title. "All of this stuff is going on and we're still trying to move forward in good faith and we see this e-mail, inadvertently, which was a godsend. I believe that that was the universe giving that to us and showing us who we were dealing with."

The producers' response to their own e-mail gaffe only made Q-Tip more agitated.

"Their whole comeback to that was, 'Oh, he's just frustrated, everybody's frustrated,' " Tip said. But he countered, "When you're frustrated you say, 'Yo, I'mma kick his ass. He's an a--hole, I can't stand him, I'mma f--- him up. I can't f--- with him again.' Those are things you say out of frustration. But when you say, 'First off, let's close the Billing Block and put it on the poster so they can't get on that. Then we'll f--- them on everything else,' that's strategy.

"That's premeditated, first. And second, you feel comfortable to say it to the rest of your team. That means that if the environment is conducive for you to have that kind of banter and that kind of language, God knows what else they've been saying amongst themselves. So how can we trust them?"

The only member of the group that attended the "Beats, Rhymes and Life" Sundance premiere was Phife. And in spite of the ongoing drama, A Tribe Called Quest still say Rapaport did a great job directing the film and that everyone should see it.

Stick with MTV News all week as we reveal more of our interview with A Tribe Called Quest and their concerns about the "Beats, Rhymes and Life" documentary.

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Michael Rapaport Disappointed A Tribe Called Quest Were No-Shows At Sundance

24 Jan 2011 09:59:09 EST

Director/actor said only Phife Dawg made the Saturday screening of his documentary about the group.
By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

PARK CITY, Utah — The path to the screen for actor/director Michael Rapaport's A Tribe Called Quest documentary has not been smooth.

"The last time I was with Q-Tip, he was fawning over the movie, [saying] 'I love the movie. I think it could do this, I think it could do that.' His feeling about the movie was even higher than my feelings about the movie. It's disappointing that the rest of the group isn't here," he said of the Saturday premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, which was only attended by Tribe member Phife Dawg, with no sign of Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad or Jarobi White.

As recently as last month, Q-Tip had been tweeting his disapproval of the movie, saying he was "not in support" of it. He later clarified his statements, explaining that his beef was over some edits to the project, but that he supported the sentiment of it.

"They were offered everything they needed ... to get here. They chose not to be here. I felt like Phife last night at the world premiere handled himself as a gentleman and was so honest and sweet and vulnerable, the same way he is in the movie," Rapaport told MTV News.

The movie chronicles the foursome's reunion for the 2008 Rock the Bells Tour. Last week, they released a statement in support of the film:

"Thanks to our fans for their support through the years and for the enthusiasm around the documentary. We hope that the film's perspective conveys our love of hip-hop culture. We could not attend Sundance, but we want to express our love and appreciation for the support that we have received in advance of the film's premiere tonight. We hope that it is well received."

Rapaport said he's not sure just what the issue is. Once the film was finished, he said the group's members asked for a producer credit and Rapaport said they were granted that request. With hundreds of other films and documentaries being shown at Sundance over the next few days, Rapaport pointedly said he wondered how many of them will be screened without their producers on hand to support them.

As for the Twitter beef with Q-Tip, Rapaport said he's not sure what to make of it, but he doesn't really think Tip was saying that the filmmaker was taking advantage of the group. "He didn't say that ... the reality of the situation is they're grown men and I've been with them for two and a half years and I've never been in a room with all four of them."

Over all the time he worked on the documentary, Rapaport said that despite working under the guise of a group, they really function as individuals and he never saw them all in one place at one time and could only remember a single instance when three of them were on the phone with him at once. "The reality of the situation is individually they all have different perspectives. Phife chose to come here and the other guys are not here. And they missed out," the director said.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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A Tribe Called Quest Support Michael Rapaport Documentary

23 Jan 2011 17:10:21 EST

Group release statement before Sundance premiere saying, 'We hope that the film's perspective conveys our love of hip-hop culture.'
By Mawuse Ziegbe

It looks like A Tribe Called Quest and director Michael Rapaport have found a way to agree on the ATCQ documentary.

Over the past few weeks, frontman Q-Tip has been sounding off about the indie flick, maintaining that he "was not in support" of the doc in early December. The Abstract later clarified his statements, explaining that "there were just different things that need to be done, edit-wise," but insisting, "the sentiment of the film is there. We feel like it's 80 percent there."

However, it looks like the filmmakers and Tribe, who also serve as producers on the film, have resolved their issues. Just before the Saturday Sundance Film Festival world premiere of the project, which chronicles the foursome's reunion for the 2008 Rock the Bells Tour, the group released a statement pumping up the project.

Rapaport, who has an extensive acting résumé to his credit peppered with roles in movies such as "Bamboozled" and "Mighty Aphrodite," has also explained his intentions for the flick.

"I wanted it to be a classic rock-and-roll-style documentary," Rapaport told MTV News earlier this month. "If you grew up listening to hip-hop and you were around A Tribe Called Quest, it was a part of your life.

"They are the equivalent to Led Zeppelin, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. I've been fans of those groups and fans of documentaries about those groups for a long time, and when I approached doing this film, I wanted to treat it in the same way. I didn't want it to be over-produced; I wanted it to have a rawness to it."

Are you looking forward to checking out the Tribe Called Quest documentary? Let us know in the comments!

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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A Tribe Called Quest Doc Director Pumped For Film's Sundance Debut

18 Jan 2011 07:02:14 EST

Michael Rapaport says premiering at 2011 Sundance Film Festival was his 'personal goal.'
By Hillary Crosley

A Tribe Called Quest fans can officially rejoice: The documentary chronicling the group's rise to fame as well as their legacy has been accepted into the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Held in Park City, Utah, the gathering is where Michael Rapaport, director of the documentary, cut his teeth in the film world.

"My personal goal for the movie was always to premiere it at Sundance Film Festival," he said. "I've always had affection for the festival: The first time I ever saw myself in a movie was in 1992 at the world premiere of my first movie, 'Zebrahead.' I couldn't be happier. For me, it's the premier film festival."

"Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest," which has drawn scrutiny from group member Q-Tip, boasts a rough and ready quality found in previous documentaries about legendary bands such as Led Zeppelin and the Beatles.

"I wanted it to be a classic rock-and-roll-style documentary," Rapaport said. "If you grew up listening to hip-hop and you were around A Tribe Called Quest, it was a part of your life.

As for who stops by to chat about the group, Rapaport lined up a storied list of talent: "I shot Pharrell, ?uestlove and Black Thought from the Roots, obviously Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Mos Def, Monie Love, the Jungle Brothers, Too Short, Ludacris ... a bunch of people," he said. "All of those people pop up in one incarnation or another."

Are you excited to see "Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest"? Tell us in the comments below!

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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