Baba Brinkman is a Canadian rapper from Vancouver, born in 1978. He begins his career as a rap troubadour after graduating in 2003 with a master’s degree in Medieval and Renaissance English Literature, and his thesis draws parallels between hip-hop and literary poetry.

Early work and theatre

Before becoming a full-time performer, Brinkman works as a tree-planter in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia for more than ten years, personally planting over one million trees. From 2004, he tours The Rap Canterbury Tales, an award-winning hip-hop theatre show that plays in dozens of cities worldwide. The production includes tours in Australia, several runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, campus tours in the United States including Harvard, and regular appearances in the UK and Europe. His rap adaptations are used in hundreds of classrooms around the world.

Record label and collaboration

In 2007, Brinkman founds the indie label Lit Fuse Records and releases Butterfly Man, the debut album by Vancouver singer-songwriter Aaron Nazrul. The single “When the Night” appears on network television on 90210, and its video reaches Top Ten rotation on Much Music.

Mud Sun

In 2008, Brinkman joins with UK BBC Slam Champion MC Dizraeli to form the hip-hop group Mud Sun. Together they write and release two albums, including The Rebel Cell, a hip-hop play that becomes a major critical success at the Edinburgh Fringe and wins the Spirit of the Fringe Award.

Science-themed work

Brinkman’s The Rap Guide to Evolution wins the Scotsman Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2009. The show then tours the UK and the USA and is tied to the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth. He also works with Brighton-based DJ and producer Mr. Simmonds on two further shows for the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe: The Rap Guide to Human Nature, which explores the science of human behaviour, and Rapconteur, a rap storytelling show featuring adaptations of Gilgamesh, Beowulf and the Finnish Kalevala.

Current base

Brinkman lives in Vancouver when he is not touring.