Baba Brinkman is not your regular rapper. For a start, he has a Masters in Medieval and Renaissance English Literature, and his show,The Rap Guide To Evolution, examines some pretty erudite topics, taking a stroll through natural and sexual selection and evolutionary psychology. It’s all for a good cause – namely, hailing Charles Darwin as the forward-thinking genius that he was and, respectfully and humorously, putting the creationists back in their place through the medium of rap.
It’s a slightly odd concept for Australians to contemplate, but in the States the majority of folk still don’t believe in evolution. “I started this show in England,” explains Brinkman, “where the theory of evolution isn’t controversial. They have Charles Darwin on their money. That’s part of the reason I wanted to move to the US. The theory needs soldiers and I’m doing my best in these songs. There’s a few reasons why creationism still holds sway in the States. The main one is probably that entrepreneurship and religion is a big thing here. A lot of people make a good living off it. It’s a version of capitalism. America was founded by religious outcasts. The people who were too religiously extreme for England became the Pilgrims. Now they have all sorts of offshoots – Mormons, Methodists, Baptists, Pentecostals.
“There were real opportunities here for charismatic leaders and it’s been persuasive to a lot of people. I’m exploring how you move people on this. Traditionally, people have tried using argument, education and logic. Maybe an emotionally salient experience will go further. It may be harder for people to feel hostile that way. I’m trying to reach people with art, rather than with argument.”
Not that he is shying away from an argument – he’s had a few lately, having taken the show to Mississippi, Texas and Alabama. When we speak, Tennessee is next. Brinkman is making a documentary while he’s at it, which sounds like a risky proposition, but he’s remarkably relaxed about it.
“I have a good rapport with people,” Brinkman says. “I’m going to entertain them, intrigue them and make them laugh, and do it respectfully. Sure, there have been plenty of heated arguments, but to date, I haven’t been threatened.”
He is also attracting a lot of supporters. “People are super enthusiastic. It’s unusual to be saying these sorts of things down there, so people are telling me, ‘We need more people saying it,’ and thanking me.”
The shows are well attended and are inspiring healthy debate. “The evolutionist brings his creationist friend and then we get some discussion,” Brinkman says.
“The show ran for five months off Broadway. That was an older demographic. For some of them, I became the embodiment of a hip hop theatre performer. One of my favourite things was that I had people coming up to me later saying, ‘I never liked it before,’ or ‘I never got hip hop before, but now I do.’ Young people would come, too, because it was hip hop in a theatre and I had them telling me that science was interesting.”
The irony of his name is not lost on Baba Brinkman, a dedicated atheist. “My parents were into Hindu mysticism,” he laughs. “I think they were doing yoga with Baba Hari Dass. I was given the name un-ironically, but for a rationalist to be named after a guru is some sort of cosmic joke.” Although, after a moment’s reflection, he recants. “Babas in mystical traditions were just teachers of wisdom, and all I’m doing is collecting pearls of wisdom about science and distributing them.”
The Rap Guide To Evolution is playing at the Sydney Opera House Studio from Thursday June 19 until Friday June 20, tickets available online.
