Do we have a soul? And if not, can we at least still have soulful music? Baba Brinkman asks a lot of questions in The Rap Guide To Consciousness. In his Science Rap songs and the Off-Broadway show, he provides a ton of background information. Yet he still lets it up to you to answer.

13 Reasons Why

In the thirteen songs of The Rap Guide To Consciousness, Baba reflects the subject of consciousness from very different angles. What makes it so unique is that he not only explains the theories but transfers them to a fictional environment, mostly related to hip-hop. This makes the theories very entertaining and lively.

For example, in the song Zombie, Baba thematizes the “philosophical zombie” thought experiment. It is imagining a person who usually behaves in every measurable way, and has a normal-seeming brain, but is completely lacking in conscious experience. In his version, Baba imagines a zombie version of a hip-hop fan, presenting both a satire of the concept of zombies and also a satire of the presumed shallowness of hip-hop fans by non hip-hop fans.

Baba does this primary as an entertainer. But imagine a science teacher using the concept of Baba in the classroom! It doesn’t mean he has to rap. But bringing science to live by transferring its thoughts on a popular subject wouldn’t hurt. So, deans all around this world, send your science teachers to one of Baba’s shows!

A Soundposter of Consciousness

We created a Soundposter with the full The Rap Guide To Consciousness album, containing Bab’s comments, so you can read while listening:

You can buy the album on Bandcamp. Tickets for the show in New York during March and April can be bought from Soho Playhouse.