Girl Talk 'Feeds the Animals'

2004's The Grey Album, a Jay-Z-meets-the-Beatles mash-up record produced by Danger Mouse (of Gnarls Barkley fame), proved that such a record could be commercially successful, but Girl Talk has taken the concept to an entirely new level. While most mash-ups come off, to some extent, as novelty items, Girl Talk records are hour-long collages every bit as fun and intriguing as the stunning palette of hip-hop and pop music samples from which Girl Talk (AKA Gregg Gillis, pictured) has pieced them together. The new Girl Talk record, Feed the Animals, contains some 300 samples in its 53-minute runtime. He's got Flo-Rida rapping over Velvet Underground, P. Diddy rocking a Beach Boys sample, Missy Elliot and Faith Evans tag-teaming over Nu Shooz' "I Can't Wait," and Static Major crooning Lil' Wayne's "Lollipop" perfectly matched to the melody of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge." Like any true rock star, Gillis closes with a power ballad, letting UGK and Outkast take us home over Journey's "Faithfully."

It's mind boggling that Gillis has such an impressive mastery of this much material. Who listens to "Whoop There It Is" and thinks, "Wow, this would sound DOPE over some Big Country"? Who could possibly find a way to make Tone Loc's "Wild Thang" fit seamlessly with Fleetwood Mac's "Gypsy?" The best part: you can pick up a copy of Feed the Animals at the Illegal Art website under a "pay-what-you-like" system. Yes, that's right –- you can get it for free and opt to "donate" money later if you feel suitably entertained. Which you will be, assuming there's been any pop music in the past 30 years that you've enjoyed.

addCredit("Gregg Gillis; Bryan Bedder/Getty Images")