Baba Brinkman, a self-proclaimed “geek rapper,” has a knack for combining hip hop with serious literature and science. Last year, we featured his Rap Guide to Evolution, an homage to Charles Darwin that he presented in New York City and TEDxSMU. And, before that, we showcased Brinkman taking on “Professor Elemental” in a no-holds-barred British v. Canadian Linguistics Rap Battle. Fun stuff.
But Brinkman first made his name by staging the The Rap Canterbury Tales, a creative attempt to bring Chaucer’s 14th century stories into the 21st century. The show premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2004. Then, Brinkman, a Canadian scholar of medieval literature, performed his show in secondary schools across England, before bringing his act to the United States — to Off Broadway — late last year, where he got some glowing reviews.
Above, we have Brinkman rapping the The Miller’s Tale, the second of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, at Bede’s World, 2009. And now that we have you warmed up, we’re going to mention Brinkman’s new studio album, The Canterbury Tales Remixed, which brings his retelling of Chaucer’s tales to the wider world. You can preview his album online right here, and download original rap songs (in MP3 format) for whatever price you’re willing to pay. Or, find the album on iTunes for $9.99.
You can find The Canterbury Tales (Chaucer’s version) in our Free Audio Books and Free eBooks collections.
Here’s the best rap of Chaucer I’ve ever heard. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E-0PaK4RtI
It’s chic site!!!