The documentary about A Tribe Called Quest, Beats Rhymes and Life will be screened later this month at the Tribeca Film Festival and it’s also been picked up by Sony Classics. I had a chance to see it in a small screening at the Soho House a few months ago, and despite some rhetoric online….I think it’s unfair to jump to judgment about the film without seeing it first. As a Tribe fan, I didn’t walk away with the sense that any of the members are discredited or their character has been defamed. I just get an overwhelming nostalgia for the excitement of ATCQ’s heyday. My reaction to their albums, seeing them live, watching videos like “Bonita Applebaum” on Video Music Box. There is concert footage here that brought so many feelings back. And there’s interview clips that shed light on the genius of the group. I think the above clip is a good example of how Q-tip describes his creative process in the film. Fascinating stuff. (note: the previous 4minute trailer we posted has been removed from youtube) Obviously, there’s some dispute between the group and the filmmaker Michael Rapaport, the group and the producer, and maybe even within the group too. That’s all fodder for the peanut gallery. I think fans will gain more from just admiring what moved them then, and pushing that along.