"Is this the last time?"
"What the other guys say?"
"They said yeah."
"Then, it's the last time"
And in the infamous words of Roger Murtaugh from Lethal Weapon Q-Tip utters, "I'm too old for this sh*t" and exits the room. Then we begin from the beginning, but this time we get a proper introduction. As an audience we are introduced to the members of A Tribe Called Quest. Phife Dawg, DJ/Producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Jarobi, and Q-Tip. The director, Michael Rapaport, allows the members to explain how they met. It's almost a classic tale. Childhood friends that meet and discover hip hop when the scene is blossoming into something bigger than anyone could ever imagine. The film captures how the group was influenced and how they became the influencers.
I was going to give a detailed review of the movie recapping every scene, but I decided not to. Here's why, they film is so f*cking good that it would be an injustice. The collective head nods and lyric recital in the crowd proves my point. It's not good because Rapaport used fancy camera tricks because the reality is at times it looks like he's using a regular hand held camcorder. It's good because it's a true documentary. You get to see artists like Pete Rock, Common, Black Thought, The Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, the Beastie Boys, and so many more explain what ATCQ means to them and how they were influenced by the group. It's about more than just music, but about relationships, friendship, creativity, individuality, and dynamics. It's gotta mean something when Busta Rhymes says on camera that a recent listen to "Lyrics To Go" brought tears to his eyes.
Wanna know where Q-Tip got the sample from Can I Kick It, it's in the film. Wanna know why they had such a long hiatus, it's in the film. Wanna know how they got the name ATCQ, it's in the film. Wanna know about Seaman's Furniture, IT'S IN THE FILM!! Best of all it all comes directly from the horses mouths. I recommend any TRUE hip hop fan to find out where this documentary is playing in a city near you and go see it with the quickness. Support these kinds of films! I won't say anymore than that, sorry.
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