The Rap Guide to Evolution - Off-Broadway

Baba Brinkman uses hip-hop to tell the tale of evolution in this unique one-man show.


What Is the Story of The Rap Guide to Evolution?
The title of The Rap Guide to Evolution sums it up pretty well: rap music and elements of the rap world (bling, etc.) are used to explain Darwin’s theory of evolution, while concepts of evolution are used to explain the progression of rap music and culture. Using scientific studies, “rap troubadour” Baba Brinkman mounts an effective argument against intelligent design. He draws parallels between animal behavior and things like the history of hip-hop, teenage pregnancy and murder rates in urban Chicago and dinner-table conversation with his feminist sister and Dutch creationist cousins to illustrate evolution at work.

Should I See It?

What Is The Rap Guide to Evolution Like?
The Rap Guide to Evolution is a funny, high-energy and scientifically sound solo performance by Brinkman, backed up by an onstage DJ. Along with examples from rap music and rappers, the actor uses projections of images, graphs, and data, data, data to help him explain scientific concepts. It’s a solo show, but Brinkman isn’t going it alone. Not only does he finish with a Q&A period that inspires a freestyle session, he asks the audience to join in on thins like a Darwin-ized song by Dead Prez and his Lysistrata-inspired anthem “Don’t Sleep With Mean People.”

Is The Rap Guide to Evolution Good for Kids?
Youngsters with a preternatural interest in concepts like natural selection, sexual selection and evolutionary psychology will be very interested. Bear in mind, however, that phrases like “creationism was wrong” might require a little explanation. Older teens could certainly be into Brinkman’s style of showmanship and learn a thing or two about science along the way.