... in the Western Wilderness is where I've been for the past month, living in a tent and planting trees near Merritt, BC. And "Apocalyptic Utopian Dreams in the Western Wilderness" also happens to be the title of my new hip-hop album, which is now finished, mastered, and... still some time from being released. But since I have the final master in my hands, I wanted to give you all a little preview. For a limited time, you can download the whole record in Mp3 format by clinking this link.
Why am I giving it away, you ask? Because this is the modern era of music downloads, where independent artists such as myself face a conundrum. Sell it to a few people, or give it away to a lot of people? In this case you are my front lines, my ice-breakers and taste-makers, who get the record for free, for now, in the hopes that more people will hear about it through you and give it the momentum it needs to reach the elusive masses (and in the hopes that you will like it so much you will buy a physical copy when you see me next, or buy it online when it's available). If you want to stream songs a bit quicker, I have the entire album on my Facebook page and select songs on my Myspace page.
And what's up with that title? Well, as you will find when you listen to the record it's complex, but I have found there is something about the Pacific Northwest, something about Vancouver, BC, that inspires thoughts about the end of the world, or at least the end of civilization and technology, and about how that wouldn't be such a bad thing for everyone, perhaps ridiculous thoughts. These thoughts are not exclusive to that area, but they are rife there, perhaps because one's proximity to the geographical end of civilization inspires notions of its temporal end, or maybe for other reasons (extensive colonization by hippies and draft-dodgers etc), but it's a phenomenon I wanted to explore lyrically and musically. How ludicrous are those thoughts? How parochial and selfish? How realistic? Where do they come from and how can they be turned towards constructive ends? This has been my preoccupation for the past six months, between various tours and performances.
Sonically the record was crafted by the incomparable Lin G, who co-executive produced it with me and brought her signature quality standards and production talents to every track. Musically I have collaborated with some extremely gifted artists on this record, mostly producers from London and Brighton, and mostly singers from Vancouver or based there, Tia Brazda and Chantel Upshaw and Erica Dee and Aaron Nazrul. I also recently signed a new artist to Lit Fuse Records called "Smoky Tiger" who is featured on "The Road Northwest", which captures the album's theme perfectly. Smoky Tiger's debut album will be coming out on Lit Fuse Records before long as well, but I'll preview that one to you in another email.
As for me, I'm now in England with Dizraeli rehearsing and re-writing "The Rebel Cell," and tomorrow we visit our first music festival as Mud Sun, bringing our live hip-hop sound to the English Bacchanalia. There is a lot more to tell about this summer as well, with upcoming performances at Glastonbury, Latitude, Secret Garden, Edinburgh, and the prestigious Cambridge Darwin Festival, but I'll share those as they unfold.
In the meantime, please take the time to download the album and give it a listen and provide me with feedback. It took several months to craft and several years to formulate, and I am deeply chuffed with the result.
Open Letter to Gary Goodyear, Canada's Minister for Science and Technology
Dear Minister Goodyear,
I will be performing a show called "The Rap Guide to Evolution" as part of the Vancouver Evolution Festival in a few weeks, and I would like to invite you to come to the performance free of charge. Allow me to explain.
I have read with interest the recent articles in the Globe and Mail about your misgivings towards Charles Darwin's theory of evolution ("Science minister won't confirm belief in evolution", March 17th). The Globe and Mail interviewer was very misleading when she asked whether you "believe in evolution", a question clearly designed to misrepresent Darwin's theory as a matter of personal belief rather than a scientific fact based on solid evidence. Hence, when you answered her question by saying "I don't think anybody asking a question about my religion is appropriate", you were only following her disingenuous lead.
However, your follow-up interview with CTV, ("'Of course' I believe in evolution", March 18th), suggests that the problem is a lack of comprehension rather than a lack of belief. Your chosen example of "evolution" was the ability to adapt by "walking on cement versus anything else, whether it is running shoes or high heels, of course we are evolving to our environment." By this measure, Mr. Goodyear, you are doing an excellent job of evolving your responses under the intense environmental pressure of media scrutiny. But you clearly don't understand Charles Darwin's theory.
However, I think your error is quite common and I have a simple solution: come see my show! I have spent the past few months researching and developing "The Rap Guide to Evolution", which explains and explores modern evolutionary theory through remixes, comedy storytelling, and rap poetry, making the theory simple, accessible, interesting, and fun to learn. The show was commissioned by Dr. Mark Pallen, a Microbiologist from England, who has consulted extensively on the scientific accuracy of the raps. Once you have nodded your head to the beat and laughed out loud at some of evolution's bizarre implications, you will have no reason to fear or avoid Darwin's ingenious theory any longer.
Here is what Science Magazine said about the show: "With lyrics that were sometimes sly, often hilarious, and always smart and thought-provoking, Brinkman married the fast, complex, literate delivery of Eminem with the evolutionary expertise and confrontational manner of Dawkins." Click here to read the full review.
The Rap Guide to Evolution is presented by the Vancouver Evolution Festival (venues and details are below). I sincerely hope to see you there, both for the sake of your job security and Canada's international reputation, not to mention the reassurance of our scientific community.
Public Performances Friday 10th & Saturday 11th April, 8pm, Aisle 45 in Gastown (45 W Hastings at Abbott), doors at 7:30pm, running time 1hr. Tickets $10 ($5 concession)
UBC Student Show Thursday 9th April, 4pm, The Norm Theatre, SUB (Student Union Building) Free entry
Greetings from the Fresno Rogue Festival. I have now performed "The Rap Guide to Evolution" a total of nine times, and the results are in: people love/hate it! No parent could be prouder than I am of the amounts of kudos and vehemence this show has already generated in equal measure.
The love started early, at the premier performance of the Rap Guide at Cambridge University on February 9th, part of a four-city UK tour to celebrate Darwin’s birthday. The performance was a double-header featuring myself and Lauri Lebo, author of a book called “The Devil in Dover” which chronicles the recent creationism-in-schools court battle in Dover, Pennsylvania. Science Magazine wrote a glowing review of the show complete with extensive quotations and video links, and even published an excerpt in the “Newsmakers” section of their print edition! Please click here to have a read.
By the way, the quotes are mostly from my song “Natural Selection” featuring Richard Dawkins, which can be downloaded from this link: Natural_Selection.mp3
So there’s the love, but as for the hate, my second show here in Fresno is where it all went down. First, the show was very nearly sold out (over a hundred in attendance), so there was a good buzz in the crowd. Second, the lights blew about ten minutes into the show, so the house lights had to be brought up, which means the show was very intimate, lit kind of like a living room. Third, the show got its first standing ovation, which was very overwhelming and humbling, since I’ve been pouring my heart into it for months and wasn’t sure how it would be received. Finally, I have a section in the show where I encourage the audience to give me feedback afterward, so that I can continue to revise and adapt it like an evolving organism.
The feedback was mostly very positive, but at one point I was accosted by two women who said they were very offended by the show, which they found deeply misogynist; they suggested I focus on the “long view” of evolutionary history instead of trying to apply evolution to “short term” subjects like understanding human mating strategies. They said they thought my take on evolutionary psychology was “the equivalent of social darwinism”, and used the example of breast augmentation, which evolutionary psychologists might designate an attention-getting strategy rather than a sad example of female objectification. To this I responded that un-augmented breasts themselves were already an attention-getting strategy, since all other primates have flat breasts that only swell during lactation, whereas human female breasts (and buttocks) have evolved through sexual selection to store fat deposits, making them a prominent mechanism for appraising the fitness (ie youth & fertility) of mates, which was not a popular answer (although technically it was an answer from comparative anatomy rather than evolutionary psych). I found out later that I was speaking to a professor of Women’s Studies from the local university.
Well the whole time we were having this conversation in the lobby after the show, a man was standing nearby listening in, and he finally stepped forward and introduced himself as Dr. Rick Zechman, the head of the Biology Department of CSU Fresno, the same university as my detractors (where the Biology and Women’s Studies Departments are apparently sometimes at odds). When I asked if he had any feedback to add to their feedback, he said “My feedback is that I don’t agree with their feedback”. He then invited me to perform at the university, which I did today, co-sponsored by the Biology Department and the Psychology Department. The Dean of Science was in attendance at the show, as well as about a hundred and forty students, and once again some were very enthusiastic and some not so much, but the response from the scientific community so far has been amazing.
I should add that part of the deal when Dr. Pallen commissioned this show for the Darwin Tour was that he had to vet the script for scientific rigor. So all through January I sent him drafts of the lyrics and he sent me back amendments to ensure that the content was based on the current state of evolutionary biology, and to ensure that I didn’t misrepresent any of the core concepts of his discipline (the part about breast evolution is from The Mating Mind by Geoffrey Miller). This of course gives me a solid foundation when it comes to answering critics, since the show and current evolutionary science supposedly speak with one voice (although I try to represent both sides of certain controversies within evolutionary biology, such as the question of group selection). One reviewer who posted on the Rogue Festival website was unimpressed with my claims of scientific rigor; apparently the show made her feel “disgusted” and “sick to her stomach”, and she found it “racist, sexist, and offensive”. I disagree with this review, but it’s definitely interesting to experience such a range of responses.
In other news, I will be back in Vancouver soon to work on my next solo rap CD, due out in May or June. I am also working with the Vancouver Evolution Festival to get a venue for the Rap Guide in early April, possibly over Easter weekend. How sweet would that be? Darwin rises from the dead and busts a rhyme!
Hello from Cambridge! I've just returned from the Sanger Institute, and one of the most inspiring conferences I've ever been privileged to attend, so I thought I'd share. The conference, "Evolving Words" brought together performance poets and evolutionary biologists to exchange ideas and expertise, in order to increase public appreciation of Darwin's work and legacy. The poets were each paired with a scientist, and we each had to learn the other's bio and interests and introduce them to the group. My counterpart for that exercise was none other than Randal Keynes, Charles Darwin's great-great-grandson!
In the evening we were privy to performances from the other poets, includingthe legendary beat poet Michael Horovitz, and I even previewed a few scenesfrom the "Rap Guide to Evolution" which one biologist described as"surprisingly accurate, for a rap". Later we had a chance to participate ina roundtable discussion with the institute's leading geneticists and expertsin human evolution, such as Dr. Chris Tyler-Smith, who talked about thecurrent state of scientific knowledge on the questions of whence, wherefore,and whither. Later we were taken on a tour of the DNA sequencing labs andsupercomputers used to process the information (ever heard of a petabyte?).Here's a link to their website if you want to learn more: click here.
The Sanger Institute, by the way, is where approximately 40% of the HumanGenome Project was completed, in a race to map the human genetic code andput it into public domain on the web before private interests had a chanceto copyright and trademark (!) the code for commercial purposes. It was agreat triumph of the public good over narrow profit-motives, and now theinstitute is on the cutting edge of genetic medicine. It was mind-bogglingto hear of the progress made in the past fifteen years in terms of sheercapacity. For instance, it originally took twelve years to map the genomeof a single person. Now they process the equivalent of 40 full genomes perday!
So now I'm spending the weekend in Cambridge preparing for the first fullperformance of the "Rap Guide to Evolution" on Monday. The show wasrecently thrown for a loop when the other rapper, Greydon Square, discoveredhe couldn't travel due to parole restrictions. It was supposed to be atwo-man, one-hour production, but suddenly I now find it's all on me. It'sa shame, because Greydon is a pretty fascinating guy and I was lookingforward to the collaboration. If you want to check out some of his stuffand imagine what could have been, here's the link: click here.
And if any of you are in the UK and want to catch the show in its currentprimitive form, the tour schedule is posted on my website (but please doRSVP because space is limited):In the meantime, don't forget to raise a toast to Charles Darwin on Thursday(his birthday). I don't think anyone in history has taught us more aboutwho we are and where we come from collectively.
A Fond Farewell to the 43rd President of the United States
This is truth and reconciliation day I got up to watch the inauguration at eight This morning and felt the tension of eight years of anxious Worry evaporate from my neural matrix storage Eight years of wasted wars, eight years of official Statements distorting the truth, and hastily-awarded Contracts, and secret compacts, and danger-courting And total incompetence, coupled with amazing sources Of confidence, such as the conservative base supporting This is a day for healing and faith-restoring Obama even commissioned an award-winning scholar A poet of great worth, to perform that ancient service Of composing a piece of occasional verse To celebrate his inauguration with ornate words Now there’s an honest day’s work But this? I can’t even say his name – it hurts! I guess now I know my place on this earth Not the herald of great heroes who deserve our respect No, more like the chronicler of regret The reminder of those we’d prefer to forget Is there no alcoholic remedy to erase Recovered alcoholics from your memory banks? No cure for bitterness in a time for giving thanks? Guilty tyrant, thy offense is rank! It stinks to high heaven! And yet this blank Expression on your face betrays no hint of angst Placid incomprehension instead of dripping fangs Or at least contrition for the dead civilian ranks It takes a big man to admit mistakes Well, he still stands on midget legs But at least we saw growth in all fifty states When they picked his replacement on election day Obama’s already been embraced by every nation His inauguration is finished, and the last administration Has nothing left for it but victim impact statements
And rest assured, there’s plenty of eloquent critics Ready and willing to give them hell every minute And never let them settle into a quiet Respectable retirement; certain individuals In the legal profession believe there’s sufficient evidence To see them imprisoned in the federal penal system For deliberate breeches of the Geneva Convention Not to even mention the fact that their people listened In on civilians without judicially seeking permission But hey, that’s strictly a legal decision Nothing to do with me; my specialty is lyricism I would’ve cheered when the impeachment was issued Sure, but I prefer not to give these people attention Unless that attention will get them neatly arrested Or at least convince the electorate to completely reject them I mean, they certainly don’t need me to accept them Besides, I’d rather keep it effervescent The USA has an incredible president A sensible man, conscientious and intelligent A person with principles and effortless eloquence So why am I wasting my intricate syllables Protesting the criminal offenses of a pathetic Ex-president, a Crawford, Texas resident Instead of just adding him to a list of irrelevant Idiots, and forgetting him, period?
Why? Because my benevolent ex-professor requested it Better yet, my friend requested it And when I’m ‘friend requested’ I tend to accept it Even when it leads to endless unsolicited messages Such as the ones you’re presently getting peppered with Not every job is empty of unpleasantness Someone’s job is to collect effluence From the sewer system and test it for potential infections In order to prevent the spread of pestilence My job is to catalogue the thick-headedness Of the former Commander-in-Chief of speech impediments And despite his recent attempts to claim the best intentions My ambition is to ensure that his name is never mentioned Again, at least not in the same breath as Anything inspiring, hopeful, or progressive Only as a cautionary tale, a haunting presence For future generations learning important lessons I can’t imagine a more impressive example Of how oppression leads directly to rebellion Or how to weaken a nation’s defenses And subjugate their safety to political interests And sell out the public good to private business I don’t know how he gets 20% in the census Except to say that some people really are senseless That’s why I called him a ‘symptom’
But I won’t call him evil; even though He caused the unnecessary deaths of a lot of people And his powers of perception were often feeble (Which isn’t a problem unless you happen to be in control Of launching rockets and watching the economy grow) I simply see it as the unchecked growth of the common ego Bad decisions? We’ve all made them before Sometimes responsibilities get laid at your door And there’s even justifications for the waging of war In certain cases, as a last resort When your safety is at stake, and for staying the course And making tough decisions and taking calculated risks Even if your kids may end up paying for it What’s the metaphor I’m searching for? When it comes to personal shortcomings, intelligence Deficits, hubris, etc, he wasn’t just dirt poor He was the perfect storm
And now, with the storm clouds lifted After being pushed to the outer limits by a White House Filled with cowards and nitwits pretending to represent The national interest while devouring endless resources And burning thousands of bridges; after listening To the countless insipid pronouncements issuing From beneath those beady eyes and prominent brow ridges After cringing as they trotted out false witnesses In support of ever more twisted selfishness Their military prowess directed at houses and villages With rushing limbic systems defending their callousness Driven by apocalyptic visions that sound religious When really they were just out for riches Now, with the storm clouds lifted With the hurricane passed and the base of power shifted We have to get up off the ground and shake out the splinters And let go of the anger and the feeling of helplessness It’s time to finally get down to business And deal with this world as it is, without bitterness
This isn’t to say that it wasn’t outrageous We may indeed be at the end of a dark age In a time of salvation, or just an about-face But I’m done with foul language, no sour grapes Let them take him away to pay for his proud ways Or just leave him alone to live out his days Either way, he’s nothing without his job title Except a mascot, a neo-con pop idol As for the rest of us, let’s just feel the buzz Like this is Endor after the Death Star self-destructs Into clouds of dust; give the cowboy his open range Today my attention is focused on hope and change On the present path, and on the future instead of the past Let’s change what we can, and accept what we can’t And direct our energy into the next president’s tasks
For the past year or so I've been working with a company called Flocabulary based in New York, a very creative group of people who produce educational hip-hop content for schools. I've written songs for their teaching projects, and more recently recorded an episode of their weekly hip-hop newscast: "The Week in Rap". If you want to check out Flocabulary, you can find them online at www.flocabulary.com.
New year's resolutions are the personal equivalent of financial projections and business plans for companies, forever subject to the unpredictable crashes and booms of outrageous fortune. I will not succumb to anything as delusional as a resolution, but I will project my year as clearly as I can see it from here, and perhaps the illusion of design will adapt it to the projection, or at least provide some entertainment value in retrospect.
Why would I burden you with a year in preview? Because I would like to solicit input on new projects I am undertaking, and solicit gigs from those of you who are interested in my projects, be they Chaucerian, Orwellian, or Darwinian.
January I will spend here in Vancouver working on my new show, "The Rap Guide to Evolution", which was commissioned recently by the Bioscience Department of the University of Birmingham. One of the professors there, Dr. Mark Pallen (a bacterial geneticist), asked me if I would be willing to "do for Darwin what I did for Chaucer" and I responded that it would be an honour.
So in February I will travel to England for a ten day tour of Darwin-related events and venues organized by Dr. Pallen and his team. February marks the Charles Darwin Bicentennial and universities and natural history museums around the world will be celebrating the patron saint of biology. The show is currently undergoing the murky embryological process by which compositions are formed, so if any of you have any thoughts on the subject of evolution, I'm all ears (for the next three weeks or so). I'm currently trying to make sense of it from as many angles as possible.
March and April will consist of school touring in the USA, mostly with the Rap Canterbury Tales, but also with the North American debut of the Rap Guide at the Fresno Rogue Festival. If any of you know of a college, high school, or any venue at all where I could spin a yarn or two in the States in March or April, my RCT program information is online, just click here. Oh yes, and in late April I will travel to Hong Kong for the Hong Kong Microfest (a theatre festival), my first trip to the far East!
May and early June will about one thing and one thing only: treeplanting. Nuff said.
Then in June I will return to the UK to reunite with Dizraeli for another season of performing "The Rebel Cell" (think 8-Mile meets 1984). A production company from London, SPL Productions, is taking on the show for 2009, re-working it for a larger audience, and orchestrating a tour of UK festivals, a return to the Edinburgh Fringe in August, and finally a West End run at a theatre in London in September/October. The details have yet to be worked out, but the tour is confirmed and we are very excited to be working with these guys to resurrect our Orwellian hip-hop parable.
Since nothing is finalized for the post-August portion of 2009 I will stop there for now, and reveal more only as it is revealed to me.
And what else is new? Aaron Nazrul's song "When the Night" will be featured on the new Beverly Hills 90210 airing on CBS network TV on January 13th. He and the band are currently on tour in Central America, and have been creating video blogs along the way, so if you're curious to see what's up with them check the Myspace page.
Looking forward to hopefully seeing many of you during my travels in 2009, and a happy and prosperous new year to you all,
