The Mouse and the Mask

Infobox Album
Name = The Mouse and the Mask
Type = studio
Artist = DANGERDOOM


Released = October 10, 2005 (EU)
October 11, 2005 (US)
Recorded =
Genre = Hip hop
Length = 39:51
Label = Epitaph
#86775
Producer = Danger Mouse
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:616qoayaeijn link]
*AllHipHop.com Rating|4|5 [http://www.allhiphop.com/reviews/?ID=644 link]
*Robert Christgau (A-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Danger+Doom link]
*HipHopAve.net (4.5/5) [http://www.hiphopave.net/reviews/mousemask.html link]
*Okayplayer Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.okayplayer.com/reviews/index.php/weblog/more/the_mouse_the_mask/ link]
*Pitchfork (7.8/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/17314/Danger_Doom_The_Mouse_and_the_Mask 12 Oct 05]
*PopMatters (8/10) [http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/d/dangerdoom-mouse.shtml 14 Oct 05]
*RapReviews.com (8.5/10) [http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2005_10_themouse.html 11 Oct 05]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/7646656/the_mouse_and_the_mask 6 Oct 05]
*"Slant" Rating|4|5 [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=677 link]
Last album =
This album = "The Mouse and the Mask"
(2005)
Next album = "Occult Hymn"
(2006)
Misc = Extra chronology 2
Artist = MF Doom
Type = studio
Last album = "MM..Food"
(2004)
This album = "The Mouse and the Mask"
(2005)
Next album = Extra chronology 2
Artist = Danger Mouse
Type = studio
Last album = "The Grey Album"
(2004)
This album = "The Mouse and the Mask"
(2005)
Next album = "St. Elsewhere"
(2006) Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = studio


Lower caption = European cover Singles
Name = The Mouse and the Mask
Type = studio
Single 1 = Sofa King
Single 1 date = October 25, 2005
Single 2 = Old School
Single 2 date = July 10, 2006

"The Mouse and the Mask" is a collaboration album by Danger Mouse and MF DOOM under the name DANGERDOOM, released on October 11 2005 by Epitaph Records in the United States. It was also released by Lex Records in the UK on October 17 2005, with different cover art.

History

The album was inspired by Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming (where it also received considerable advertising) and features guest performances by Ghostface Killah, Cee-Lo and Talib Kweli as well as character voices and clips from many Adult Swim shows.

"Sofa King" was released as a 12-inch single on November 42005, and was followed by "Old School" on July 102006. A video for "A.T.H.F. (Aqua Teen Hunger Force)" has also been made.

Comedian Dave Chappelle created an iTunes Celebrity Playlist and selected the DANGERDOOM track "Mince Meat" for his Block Party Picks. He stated, "Two very consistently good artists collaborate to make my head nod. Doom, Mouse - Thank You. Wherever you are, nice album." On a semi-related sidenote, MF DOOM mentioned Chappelle in the song "Peoples, Places, and Things" (called "Name Dropping" on his CD "Live from Planet X"). DOOM says "Rap cats at brave as hell/Get on the mic and turn 'Gangsta!' on some 'yeah, see' like Dave Chappelle." in reference to a bit Chappelle performed in his stand up "Killin' Them Softly".

MF DOOM disses MF Grimm in this album by referring to the Monsta Island Czars (aka M.I.C.) as 'Midgets Into Crunk' in the song "El Chupa Nibre" (on the paraphrased remix version the line is changed to 'Monkeys Into Crime'). Grimm responded by releasing an entire DOOM diss track, entitled "Book of Daniel" (which concludes his 2006 triple album American Hunger), in which he mainly accuses DOOM of having sold out.

"Old School" features a mix of Keith Mansfield's song "Soul Thing," and "Space Ho's" sample Mansfield's "Morning Broadway."

The rap that Meatwad performs at the end of "Bada Bing" is a verse from "Beef Rapp", the first song on MF DOOM's album "MM..Food?".

Reception

"Professional reviews"

*Rolling Stone (No. 984, p.154) - 3 stars out of 5 - "It's a fun ride."

*Spin (p.62) - Ranked #25 in Spin's "40 Best Albums Of 2005" - "Together, these two dudes are more animated than the cartoon characters who pop up on this disc."

*Entertainment Weekly (No. 844, p.152) - " [A] hip-hop tour-de-farce." - Grade: A-

*Magnet (pp.89-93) - "Wading deep into hip hop's rich history, they deliver a record that conjures the classics without sounding willfully retro."

*The Wire (pp.55-56) - " [A] frenetic comedy both above and of a kind with its fratboy origins, admirably absurdist in some respects and coolly demented in others."

*Vibe (p.152) - " [A] headphone-friendly soundtrack... [of] deliciously demented narratives."

*Mojo (p.120) - 3 stars out of 5 -- " [T] he stoned, late-night hilarity is grounded by some deft soundtrack-funk production from Dangermouse..."

Release details

Track listing

#"El Chupa Nibre" (Brian Burton, Daniel Dumile) – 2:40
#*Appearances by Brak, Zorak, Master Shake, Lois Griffin
#"Sofa King" (Burton, Dumile) – 2:57
#*Appearance by Aqua Teen Hunger Force
#"The Mask" (Burton, Dennis Coles, Dumile) – 3:12
#*Featuring Ghostface
#*Appearance by Brak & Zorak
#*Samples Life in General's "If You Only Had The Time"
#"Perfect Hair" (B. Burton, D. Dumile) – 2:03
#*Appearance by Master Shake
#"Benzi Box" (B. Burton, D. Dumile, Cee-Lo Green) – 3:00
#*Featuring Cee-Lo
#"Old School" (B. Burton, D. Dumile) – 2:40
#*Featuring Talib Kweli
#*Appearance by Aqua Teen Hunger Force
#*Sample taken from the song Funky Fanfare by Keith Mansfield
#"A.T.H.F. (Aqua Teen Hunger Force) " (Burton, Dumile) – 3:03
#*Appearance Aqua Teen Hunger Force
#"Basket Case" (Burton, Dumile) – 2:35
#*Appearance by the cast of Harvey Birdman
#*Sample taken from the song Misty Canyon by Sven Libaek (appearing on Dusty Fingers Vol 4)
#"No Names (Black Debbie)" (Burton, Dumile) – 3:07
#*Appearance by the cast of "Sealab 2021"
#"Crosshairs" (Burton, Dumile) – 2:27
#*Appearance by Brak and Thundercleese
#"Mince Meat" (Burton, Dumile) – 2:33
#*Lyric: "I'll make mince meat out of that [beat] mouse!" sampled from Total Television's Klondike Kat cartoon
#"Vats of Urine" (Burton, Dumile) – 1:48
#*Appearance by the Mooninites
#"Space Ho's" (Burton, Dumile) – 3:29
#*Appearance by Space Ghost
#*Sample taken from the song Morning Broadway by Keith Mansfield
#"Bada Bing" (Burton, Dumile) – 4:35
#*Appearance by Aqua Teen Hunger Force

Album singles

"Sofa King"
*Released: October 25, 2005
*B-side: "Mince Meat"

"Old School" (UK Only)
*Released: July 10, 2006
*B-side: "Space Ho's (Madlib Remix)" & "Sofa King (Danger Mouse Remix)"

Chart positions

Personnel

* Mark Linkous – bass
* Money Mark – keys