While Girl Talk has been fueling crowds with his sample-steeped club mixes for over two decades now, he’s additionally taken a liking to the production game in recent years. In 2023, Gregg Gillis linked up with Wiz Khalifa, Smoke DZA, and Big K.R.I.T. to release the bassy Full Court Press; and this year, the Pittsburgh DJ has brought Chris Crack and Michael Christmas into the fold, resulting in the enormously fun Don’t Come to My House Sharing Your Location.
Recorded over a series of sessions in Pittsburgh, Boston, and Chicago, the new EP plays like a good ol’ fashioned game of pool basketball in the height of the sweltering summer heat. Girl Talk keeps the production fresh and bouncy while Crack and Christmas take turns dunking over the beat with shit-talking verses. Singing is mandatory on the hooks, where the two rappers take turns crooning and bopping about, shaking ass and demanding respect. Littered throughout the brisk six-song project is Girl Talk’s plunderphonic sampling prowess, infusing each beat with irreverent flips and sonic easter eggs.
We caught up with Gillis, Christmas, and Crack ahead of the release to discuss their first collaboration as a trio, the making of earworm hooks, and how Crack comes up with the greatest song names in music. Check out our conversation and stream Don’t Come to My House Sharing Your Location below.
Gregg, you’ve been doing collaborative albums for a minute, and Chris and Michael, you’ve worked together previously. How did y’all link up?
Gillis: I’d been following Michael and Chris for a while, and I connected with each of them through social media. I’d been thinking about collaborating with each of them separately, and then I saw them interacting on Twitter. The idea just kind of hit me. They both have such unique styles, but there’s a lot of overlap in the tone of their work. Coming off my project with Wiz, Smoke, and K.R.I.T., I liked how that format worked: multiple voices, different approaches from each artist. It lets me try a wide range of ideas and see what works together. So I was really excited about collaborating with Michael and Chris, trying to build a cohesive project that taps into elements of our individual styles—something fun but simultaneously experimental, irreverent but self-aware. I thought we could make something that felt unique.
Christmas: Girl Talk had the vision; he brought us together in person. It was crazy how it all came together, honestly. It was like the Avengers.
In what ways did the three-person weave on this project change your individual approaches to making the music?
Gillis: This project was different for me in that Michael and Chris recorded a bunch of different ideas and parts for each song, kind of building off each other. It was kind of unclear at the end how each one would be arranged. That allowed me to go back, sit with all of the material, and pick and choose how everything would fit together. That was great, kind of related to how I used to do my mashup albums.
Christmas: I was trying to write more hooks, sing more, rap better, and just overall work on stuff a little longer. That’s the main thing Gregg asked of us: Multiple hooks per song, multiple bridges, big-energy stuff.
Crack: It taught me to be more cautious, but also to let go and have more fun.
Those hooks really shine across the album. Did y’all go into the writing process with song structure and hooks as an emphasis, or did those come about organically as you worked?
Gillis: At the beginning of the sessions, I told Michael and Chris that I’d like to record multiple hooks and bridges on individual songs, if possible. We didn’t have to; there were no rules, but if they had any ideas, I’d love to hear them. We recorded in a linear fashion, not putting together the arrangement and structure much in the studio, just laying down different ideas. I was able to take my time and organize everything after the sessions. For certain songs, the hook was immediately clear, but on others, we had multiple ideas that clicked. For example, on “Vending Machine Charcuterie Board,” the outro was initially one of the hook options. I like the idea of taking some of the experimental and unconventional aspects of Michael and Chris’ work, keeping that intact, but putting it in a different musical context.
Christmas: Tiggy [Girl Talk] really wanted to bring out the thing he felt was one of my strongest traits, which is just flows, melodies, and pockets. So we aggressively worked on hooks!
Crack: Everything was kinda on-the-fly, but in a super creative sense.
The project is full of great one-liners, sample chops, and really seamless blends of the three of your individual talents—what’s each of y’all’s favorite moment on the EP?
Gillis: I really like the combination of elements on “Dr. Umar Radio Station on GTA6.” Unconventional flows, a confrontational but radio-ready hook. It’s like a warped party record.
Christmas: For me, track one [“Wouldn’t Go to Chili’s with Michael B. Jordan”] is my favorite. It feels like what me and Chris both do best, and it’s capped off with beautiful vocals. It sets the tone. When Chris said “I just wanna see what the lick read” on track one, I think that’s when I start to feel like I’m listening to a ’90s Jay-Z song. It’s awesome.
Crack: My fave moment was making the music. Kicking it the days between, hanging out in Pittsburgh.
Chris’ knack for naming songs is on full display on the track list. What did the naming process look like for the three of you?
Christmas: I was useless! I couldn’t think of shit. Chris is the king of that. I believe I said in person on our last trip, “Why would you ask me to take the shot when we got the Michael Jordan of naming things?”
Crack: Let’s just say we worked it out.
