DANGERDOOM’s 2005 album, The Mouse and the Mask, is an amazing example of advertising-as-art. Created by two of music’s more idiosyncratic artists — producer Dangermouse and rapper MF DOOM — it simultaneously served as an extended ad for Cartoon Network’s mid-2000s programming and a truly great rap record.
For Dangermouse, The Mouse and the Mask came hot on the heels of his career-making mash-up, The Grey Album, and his first #1 album (UK Charts), the Gorillaz’ Demon Days. Dude was on FIRE. DANGERDOOM was further proof of Dangermouse’s musical genius.
And DOOM? Well, DOOM is one of my all-time favorite MCs. When I first heard about Cartoon Network contracting him for this project, I sorta feared he’d be ‘phoning it in,’ so to speak. Not so. DOOM’s witty wordplay on The Mouse and the Mask is right up there with his work on the classics OPERATION: DOOMSDAY and Madvillainy.
As odd as it sounds, the foul-mouthed food from Aqua Teen Hunger Force must also be credited with some of the album’s artistic success. Master Shake’s between-song antics achieve a rare feat in the world rap record skits — providing endlessly re-playable laughs while creating a thematic framework for The Mouse and the Mask‘s dizzying blend of tangential topics, musical esoterica and cartoon cartography.
How dizzying is “dizzying”?
Take track 9, No Names (22:05). Race relations are analyzed by the scientists of Sealab 2020 over a sample of Vanilla Fudge’s cover of The Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby.
Say that five times fast.
Or howzabout the braggadocios self-loathing of Mince Meat (27:41)? That’s the bare bones, flute-infused, schizophrenic stream-of-consciousness that samples Klondike Kat. You know, the song that appears between tracks featuring Harry Nilsson (Crosshairs) and the cast of Space Ghost Coast to Coast (Vats of Urine).
Yeah, DIZZYING.
The Mouse and the Mask is a hip-hop nerd’s nirvana, a music lover’s wonderland and an animation geek’s future favorite record. Well, it’s one of MY favorite records, anyway. Give it a listen and let me know what you think!
