Baba Brinkman sings a few bars to Notorious B.I.G.B次元官网网址檚 Hypnotize B次元官网网址� the perfect example of the meta-marriage between form and content in The Rap Guide to Evolution, one of BrinkmanB次元官网网址檚 five hip hop shows that break down complex topics into remixes of popular rap songs.

B次元官网网址淒oing a rap performance in a highly effective and sophisticated way has a direct impact on the psychology of prospective mates and thatB次元官网网址檚 exactly what you would expect if you were describing a sexually-selected behaviour,B次元官网网址� says the New York-based rapper, University of Victoria grad and playwright. B次元官网网址淎 peacock could be writing exactly the same song about his tail that Biggie wrote about his rap skills.B次元官网网址�

ItB次元官网网址檚 rap about the origins of rap, as the product of evolution, demonstrated through a performance which also communicates the gist of the theory B次元官网网址� or what Brinkman calls B次元官网网址渕eta rap,B次元官网网址� for its uber meta-qualities.

Next Wednesday, Brinkman, who graduated with a masters in English from UVic in 2003, will return to his alma mater for two shows: The Rap Guide to Evolution and The Canterbury Tales Remixed, an updated version of his first work based on Geoffrey ChaucerB次元官网网址檚 classics, which debuted at the Victoria International Fringe Theatre Festival and sold out shows at the Edinburgh festival that year.

A key player in the evolution of BrinkmanB次元官网网址檚 career was Mark Pallen, a professor of microbial genomics at the University of Birmingham in the U.K.

After seeing BrinkmanB次元官网网址檚 performance of The Rap Canterbury Tales, he commissioned Brinkman to do for Darwin what he did for Chaucer and create The Rap Guide to Evolution to coincide with the Darwin bicentenary in 2009.

Pallen was impressed with his ability to interweave rap and evolutionary thinking and has since incorporated BrinkmanB次元官网网址檚 videos into his lessons.

B次元官网网址淲hat most scientists watching this stuff don't realize is that many of the tracks are reworkings of established hip-hop tracks that Baba has adapted for the purposes of explaining evolution,B次元官网网址� Pallen said. B次元官网网址淪o the rap sits in an authentic context too.B次元官网网址�

Brinkman is open about his minimal formal education in science. All of his work is subject to a rigorous peer review and fact-checking process.

B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檝e got a three-and-a half-minute rap song,B次元官网网址� Brinkman said.

B次元官网网址淵ou canB次元官网网址檛 communicate the complexities of an entire textbook, but you can point people toward the relevant concepts and put them in the context that promotes curiosity.B次元官网网址�

His next off-Broadway show in the hopper deals with the scientifically informed search for a mate in the modern world, based on the theory of evolution.

Following with his history of tackling controversial topics relatively well understood in the scientific community and that are misunderstood by the public, Brinkman is ready to take on climate change, bioengineering and religious behaviour in future works.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no way you can avoid being offensive, but you can at least try to offend people for the right reasons,B次元官网网址� said Brinkman, who has endured unsurprizing criticism from creationists.

This is the first time the Vancouver-born troubadour will perform in Victoria since the beginning in 2004.

B次元官网网址淚n those days I was very green around the gills. This is me coming back after hundreds of shows and non-stop performing. IB次元官网网址檓 excited to come back to my own territory and validate the education I got there.B次元官网网址�

nnorth@saanichnews.com

BabaB次元官网网址檚 back Oct. 24

The Rap Guide to Evolution from 8 to 10 p.m.

The Canterbury Tales Remixed from 2 to 4 p.m.

Tickets need to be booked in advance. Call 250-721-8480, online at or in person at the UVic Ticket Centre.