A Tribe Called Quest Issues Statement During The Premiere Of 'Beats, Rhymes & Life'

Phife of A Tribe Called Quest attends 'Beats, Rhymes & Life' premiere, other members release a statement in regards to the documentary.

On the evening of the premiere of director Michael Rapaport’s documentary on A Tribe Called Quest titled Beats, Rhymes & Life members of A Tribe Called Quest released a joint statement about the premiere of the film.

“Thanks to our fans for their support through the years and for the enthusiasm around the documentary,” read a statement made by Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Jarobi, and Q-Tip. “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. Thank you.”

Beats, Rhymes & Life premiered at the annual Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, January 22; Phife was the only A Tribe Called Quest member to attend the screening.

Saturday night’s premiere comes at the heels of a public dispute between the film’s director Michael Rapaport and Q-Tip over the release of the documentary.

Q-Tip was once involved in the project, but broke ties with Rapaport when requests from the group regarding the documentary weren’t being met. Q-Tip has continuously turned to his Twitter account to express his disapproval of Beats, Rhymes & Life.

The day before the premiere of the film Q-Tip again spoke on the documentary Tweeting that “we are truly thankful for your interest in our music and your interest in this flattering look at our career.”