It seems that while every mid-level rock band gets a tour DVD, and every couple of years a new take on the Bob Dylan documentary comes out, there are very few solid films about rap groups. It's an untapped well of good stories about rises and falls. Actor and hip hop fan Michael Rapaport felt similarly and, inspired by a show at The Wiltern in LA, set out to follow A Tribe Called Quest with the power of his own credit cards and a lot of enthusiasm. Fortune favors the bold, hopefully.

The resulting film, Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest traces the group's 1985 origins to their 2008 reunion shows. It's also a picture of the band's tumultuous relationship that led to their sudden 1998 break up, and asks the question: Is there a future for one of the most influential rap groups of all time? Since no new album has materialized in our hands, we're guessing creative differences wins out. Still, the likes of Pharrell, Santigold, Pete Rock, The Beastie Boys, De La Soul and more make appearances to share stories and explain the group's impact over the years.

Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest opens today in New York & Los Angeles, and then begins opening in limited release across the country starting next week. 

Written by Justin Pansacola