Q-Tip Buggin’ Out About Tribe Called Quest Documentary

Posted by Brandon Kim on January 18th

Michael Rapaport’s documentary about A Tribe Called Quest premieres at Sundance later this month, a personal triumph for the actor-turned-director who’s goal it was to get the film in competition there. But it will be screening with some lingering bad vibes from one of it’s central figures, hip hop legend Q-Tip.

Q-Tip recently announced on twitter that he was “not in support” of Rapaport’s vision of the group, titled “Beats, Rhymes and Life.” And per Vulture went on to tweet, “The filmmaker should respect the band to the point of honoring the few requests that’s was made abt the piece.”

Talking to MTV Rapaport responded, “I think the reason he did his little Twitter thing was because when he realized that the movie was coming to completion and going to get seen by people,” Rapaport said. “I can’t really speak for him but I think he got a little nervous.”

Rapaport pooh-poohed the idea that Q-Tip won’t ultimately back the film. “He’ll supporting the movie. As he said in his Sirius radio interview, he’s a producer on the film,” the director noted. “I would assume a producer on the film to be supporting the movie. The thing about a documentary is — and this is what I told the guys — the way you guys look at it is never going to be the way the world looks at it. You’re looking at it in way more detail than anyone else. No one is going to scrutinize it the way you guys will. It’s like when you look in the mirror and you’re like ‘I have this pimple on my face, I can’t go out.’ And your boyfriend, girlfriend or your mom is going to say ‘Oh, it’s not a big deal, I can barely notice it.'”