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The Rap Canterbury Tales at the University of 
Kent
It was an expectant audience of local school and college students who packed out the lecture theatre here at the University of Kent. They were waiting to hear rap versions of some of the Canterbury Tales and judging by their chatter before the performance began, they had little idea what to expect.
What they got was two and a half hours of sitting on the edge of your seat entertainment with a subtle dose of education. Not only did Baba Brinkman perform rap versions of the Tales but he also told them about Chaucer and his world, about telling stories, about the language Chaucer used and how today's rap artists tap into the same images of popular culture, using the language of their streets just as Chaucer did.
“The Rap Canterbury Tales” resurrects Chaucer’s fourteenth century masterpiece in the form of a lyrical battle. The Pardoner, The Miller, The Wife of Bath, and Chaucer himself all compete for the storytelling crown. Combining virtuoso hip-hop rhymes and hilarious punch-lines with stunning music and a powerful storytelling voice, Baba Brinkman brings The Canterbury Tales to life.
This stunning performance was followed by a workshop which involved the students in devising their own versions of a rap, experimenting with lyrical wordplay and generally getting down with it.
The event was a collaboration between the School of English and the Partnership Development Office.