76
Metascore
22 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90Village VoiceVillage VoiceDespite the passive-aggressive bickering, Beats, Rhymes & Life is not, thankfully, hip-hop's "Some Kind of Monster."
- 83Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanBeats is a welcome blast of '90s nostalgia, taking us back to a time - and a sound - that pulsates with optimism.
- It is at its most vibrant when re-creating the energy of Tribe's original moment in the late '80s and early '90s, when the musicians brought a spirited, playful artfulness to the sometimes drearily self-serious world of hip-hop.
- 80New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierNew York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierEven those who never joined the cult of A Tribe Called Quest will find this clear-eyed chronicle of their career irresistible.
- The actor Michael Rapaport (Brad Pitt's roommate in "True Romance"), in his feature directorial debut, does an admirable job recounting the group's formation and dissecting its dissolution.
- 65NPRMark JenkinsNPRMark JenkinsPerhaps because he's an actor, Rapaport prefers drama to analysis. And this story has plenty of conflict.
- 63Slant MagazineAndrew SchenkerSlant MagazineAndrew SchenkerEven as an "18 months later" epilogue ensures us that everything's hunky dory, this is one surprisingly grim celebration of a group Rapaport obviously loves.
- 63New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoA must for hip-hop heads. Others will either be won over or left wondering what all the fuss is about.
- Though it may not have much of an audience beyond the band's fan base, it offers enough context to serve as a primer on the hugely influential Native Tongues clique and should have life on home-vid.