"I am not a DJ" -Greg Gyllis

I think that, as this is my first post of the semester, that I should be up front with everyone reading this: I don't believe in genres of music. While I recognize a select few core styles of music (i.e. hip-hop, country, rock, jazz and horse-shit) I believe that even those can be blurred in such a way that a new style of music is formed. Take, for example, Fusion jazz. A mix of Jazz music and hip-hop created an instantaneous genre. However. . .name one chiefly Fusion artist. I'll wait while you think of one.

I believe that the blurred lines between genres have opened up an entirely new portal for musicians to explore. This portal can be found in the art of "Mash-ups." Hip-Hop artists have been doing this via sampling techniques for as long as loop machines have been on the Market. Bone Thugs N Harmony mashed their hooks and lines with a Phil Collins sample on their song "Home." More recently, MTV brought together Jay-Z and Linkin Park for a revolutionary mash-up session. While thousands of DJ's in clubs across the universe have experimented with mash-ups in their sets there is, in my opinion, one single go-to authority on the art of mash-ups.

Greg Gyllis, more commonly known as Girl Talk, left his life of tissue engineering to change the world with his mash-ups. Using the words and music from hundreds of different artists spanning a multitude of genres, Girl Talk is able to craft unique tracks through the juxtapositions found when different styles of music are combined.

I feel like when God created our universe, he bestowed upon us the musical genius to change the lives of millions. Unfortunately, this genius is not as infinite as everyone once thought. Listen to 98% of the music on the radio (coincidentally the same music Girl Talk mashes up) and you too will realize that most of these songs are crafted from similar chord structures and lyrical themes. The musical genius of the world is running dry. Through the composition of music created by other musicians, artists like Girl Talk are able to rediscover the music that was created in the last 75 years and morph said music into something reachable by today's youth and disenchanted musical fanatics.

How long will it be before the mash-up is deemed as illegal as making mixed cassette tapes and peer-to-peer file sharing? As long as acts like Girl Talk continue to bank on the musical feats of others, someone's going to be pissed. Only on his recent CD Feed The Animals has Girl Talk used a Metallica sample. Unfortunately for you, Girl Talk, Lars Ulrich really really really likes his money.