Synopsis
A documentary on the evolution of MC battles from verbal one-upmanship to street warfare.
Beef
2003 Directed by Peter Spirer
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A documentary series on feuds between rap artists. The first entry is the best of them, with a nice selection of noted hostilities and big names. Combining current interviews with archival material from the height of their hostilities, it’s a wealth of classic footage that is informative beyond the documentary’s lurid origins. Structurally Beef spends five to ten minutes with each pairing, but in the middle half hour they abandon it for a broad half hour look at East and West Coast animosities. This lacks the depth of individuals, while throwing off the pace. The upside to this is minimal focus on Tupac and Biggie, which is refreshingly tasteful given the exploitative nature of the production.
None of the beefs…
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All you need to know about this documentary regarding hip hop beef history is the list of the individuals referenced here:
Leonardo Da Vinci
Pablo Picasso
Michelangelo
Aristotle
Georges Braque
Richard Wagner
John Coltrane
Bill GatesSeriously though, the documentary transported me into art school, law school, poetry and political science courses. One of the most insightful pieces about the culture regarding the late 20th/early 21st century, for sure. The background of rap beef is used to extrapolate on social, political, and economic issues and realities, in a manner which was surprising and effective. The transitions from each era and beef were also handled well. Starting from the early days of battle rap, leading to NWA, Common, Jay Z, Nas,…
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One of the all-time great documentaries in history; so many Quotables and levels of hate that I love in hip hop. The problem with “beef” now in the world is that niggas don’t even want to do it behind bars (double entendre, don’t ask me how); instead, they act like Chatty Patties and Moody Madisons on the internet. I am thankful for the time I lived in and grew up in because 50 Cent said Ja Rule is a fruit pop and a sweetheart (no homo) cause that’s real hate. Plus, where are Mitsubishi Tah and Crack Child at now? I could have sworn I saw one of them niggas in Newark one day looking like bums. Anyways, Beef is…
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Really neat stuff for rap fans, especially those familiar with some old school rappers from the 80's and 90's. This film breaks down some beefs between various rappers over the years while giving plenty of background on each one via tons of interviews and other types of footage.
My only "beef" with Beef is the few segments that involve rappers I was never interested in to begin with, so I didn't get invested in those particular segments. But what wasn't interesting to me could easily be interesting to someone else.
I think this is a cool watch for rap fans.
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Trinity
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A doc I’ve wanted to watch since middle school when I learned about it. The first half is the best part as it deals with more of not only the history of rap beefs but also the history of the genre. When it turns into a warning against violence I understand but also it would be nice if the film addressed the social-economics of hip hop as an art form and really the last great American music genre.
Also it kind of brushes off a lot of interesting history tidbits like how Jay-Z had to apologize to Nas for the baby seat line and what meant for rap beefs instead just moving on to something else. This is Rap Beef Sparknotes Edition. -
I've always been more of a metal/rock/Tori Amos kind of guy and while I always had some appreciation for rap and hip hop I have to admit it's mostly surface level. I know the artists and the big hits but I don't really know the history.
"Beef" is perfect for someone like me because it acts as a history of the feuds from fairly benign "Yo Mama" rhyme battles to people getting shot in the street. All of the major players are represented either in archival footage or interviews from the time of the doc. Narration by Ving Rhames couldn't be any better
Ends on a resonant emotional note with an interview with Tupac's mother showcasing the real human impact of all of this grade A American "Beef". Rappers are still getting killed today, XXXTentacion lost his life in recent memory recent murders in my hometown of Toronto are being linked to and including local Soundcloud/YouTube rappers.
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You know what I wasn't expecting? For this, a low-budget documentary about hip hop beefs, to be as inspiring and #wholesome as it is. Sure, director Peter Spirer covers rivalries that had tragic outcomes--as you'd expect, there's a whole segment on the '90s East Coast/West Coast feud--but that only makes the stories of rappers coming together, working together, and even embracing one another all the more moving.
Props to Ed Piskor's brilliant Hip Hop History quartet of graphic novels for letting me know this existed.
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