Feed the Animals

On his fourth album, Feed the Animals, mash-up DJ artist Girl Talk spins together the catchiest collection of possibly criminal tunes ever released.

Gregg Gillis, known as "Girl Talk," started playing with music as a bioengineering student at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. His four LPs have all been released under label Illegal Art, a label whose name perfectly encompasses Girl Talk's music.

Girl Talk uses hundreds of songs by various artists (without their permission) of all genres and decades, mixing melodies and vocals with perfect fluidity. On 2008's Feed the Animals, Shawna's "Gettin' Some" is mixed with Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares to You" on the album's opening track, "Play Your Part Pt. 1." The unexpected collaboration of music genres is found on every song. On "Still Here," the Band is mixed with Young Joc, and on "No Pause," Led Zeppelin is mixed with Joe Budden. The unusual combinations are artfully mixed together; Girl Talk's intellect, once used for bioengineering, skillfully crafts masterpieces of his own from others' hits. The result is the ultimate party album. Feed the Animals is the perfect dance music and the hundreds of samples cover every music taste.

The New York Times Magazine has called Girl Talk "a lawsuit waiting to happen." However, Girl Talk claims protection under the Fair Use law. Released June 19, Feed the Animals was sold in a manner to prevent possible copyright lawsuits. Listeners could purchase the album online at whatever price they desired, including for $0.00. In an interview with Metro Wize, Girl Talk stated, "Anyone can download an album for free through file-sharing networks as soon as it's released on the internet. I just wanted to acknowledge reality. . . . I think it makes it easier for people to get their hands on the music, which is my number one priority."