AllMovie

This direct-to-video documentary from filmmaker Peter Spirer, the man behind 2002's Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel, delves into the many on-the-mic feuds that have been an integral part of the world of hip-hop over the years. Narrated by Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction), Beef includes archival footage that traces rap battles from the early days when they existed solely in songs to more contemporary times when the quarrels spilled into real-life, leading to violent confrontations and several dead MCs. Interviews with rap figures such as Jay-Z, Snoop Dog, Tupac, Ice Cube, Ja Rule, Russell Simmons, and Kool Moe Dee serve to offer first-hand accounts of some of the most well-known hip-hop squabbles in music history.