For a rapper, Baba Brinkman has some unlikely tour stories.
A room full of global scientists went wild during his last gig, at the annual conference for the Association of Science-Technology Centers in Columbus, Ohio.
"I had them all screaming, 'I'm an African,' at the top of their lungs," said Brinkman, referring to the refrain of one of his raps, which explains the geo-graphic root of human life. "They appreciated its fact-based approach to entertainment."
It comes with the territory when your most recent hit is an academically commissioned, peer-reviewed show called The Rap Guide to Evolution.
The New York-based rapper, who returns to his alma mater Wednesday for two shows, has also shared the bill with some heavy hitters - even if they aren't Jay-Z or Kanye. Six months ago it was evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. He's friends at this point with Jack Horner, the pale-ontologist who partially inspired Jurassic Park character Dr. Alan Grant. And in June, he got Stephen Hawking to crack a smile at the Seattle Science Fair, when he freestyled about the theoretical physicist:
"Stephen Hawking is staring at me / And it feels like a credit check / Because I bought his book years ago / But I haven't read it yet."
His return to UVic will be a momentous one. Not only is it his first performance here since graduating in 2003, but it's where he began working on the material that would launch him into the world of educational entertainment.
Brinkman (born Dirk Murray Brinkman, son of Vancouver Quadra Liberal MP Joyce Murray) now raps about everything from human psychology to Stephen Harper. His off-Broadway shows - with DJ and producer Jamie Simmonds - have been seen by more than 10,000 people, received rave reviews from the New York Times, as well as a Drama Desk nomination for outstanding solo performance.
But he developed the first piece that put him in the spotlight, The Rap Canterbury Tales, alongside his master's thesis, which linked classical poetry with hip hop. It highlighted a consistent theme in both genres.
"I internalized this message early on and it's that education without entertainment is sterile and ineffective. You have to be entertaining first, or no one is going to pay attention," he said. "Basically, my thesis was about how that dynamic in the Canterbury Tales presages hip hop."
At the same time, he began working on his own performance chops. He was a regular in the audience at Stir Fry Collective, a showcase that often featured local hip hop artists. And while he had rapped at house parties in his hometown of Vancouver, Victoria was also the first place he battled. Inspired by 8 Mile, the 2002 film starring Detroit rapper Eminem, he began freestyling at places like Lucky Bar.
"I remember the first battle I signed up for," he said. "I didn't win. But I didn't embarrass myself, either."
He brought those worlds together as a grad student, knocking on English professors' doors and offering to perform his rap version of The Knight's Tale and other Canterbury tales for their students.
Though Canterbury was the starting point, basing a career on it was never the goal. Nor did Brinkman anticipate it would lead him to hobnob with science celebrities, only 10 years later.
"That was about the farthest thing from my imagination when I first started," he said.
IN CONCERT
What: Baba Brinkman
When: Wednesday, 2 p.m. (The Canterbury Tales Remixed) or 8 p.m. (The Rap Guide to Evolution)
Where: University Centre Farquhar Auditorium
Tickets: Canterbury: $10 regular, $5 student. Evolution: $25 regular, $20 student. Discounts for school groups. Available through UVic Ticket Centre,
auditorium.uvic.ca or 250-721-8480.
