Richard
Melville Hall, better known as Moby, is considered as one of the
most important influences in popularizing sample-based electronic
dance music in the 1990s and early 2000's. His fifth album, Play,
catapulted him to international success, selling 10 million copies.
Moby's middle name and his stage name come from his connection
to Moby Dick author, Herman Melville, who is believed to
be his great-great-great granduncle. Moby is as equally well known
for his outspoken activism. A practicing vegan, he is a strong
advocate of animal rights, and has been very active in liberal
politics, and speaking out against war. In addition to including
his views in his music, such as in his 1996 album, Animal Rights,
Moby also includes essays on issues that are important to him
in the liner notes of most of his albums. In Everything Is
Wrong, for example he writes about over-consumption and the
distorted misuse of religion in politics; in End of Everything
he discusses why he is a vegan and against eating animals; and
in Animal Rights he discusses the need to acknowledge basic
rights for all humans, including gay rights, as well as basic
rights for animals as well.
