The Mouse and the Mask
Encyclopedia
The Mouse and the Mask is a collaboration album
by Danger Mouse
and MF DOOM
under the name Danger Doom
, released on October 11, 2005 by Punk
Label Epitaph Records
in the United States
marking it the third hip hop
release for the label. It was also released by Lex Records
in the UK
on October 17, 2005, with different cover art.
by MF DOOM, performed over beats created by Danger Mouse sampling
music from various television shows airing on Cartoon Network
's programming block Adult Swim
. The album was heavily promoted by the network prior to its release.
"Sofa King" was released as a 12-inch single
on November 4, 2005 and was followed by "Old School" on July 10, 2006. A video for "A.T.H.F." has also been made.
Comedian Dave Chappelle
created an iTunes
Celebrity Playlist and selected the Danger Doom 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." MF Doom mentions 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 "Funky Fanfare," 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?
.
As of November 6, 2008 the album has sold 170,081 copies.
"Old School" (UK Only)
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Danger Mouse
Danger Mouse
Brian Joseph Burton , better known by his stage name Danger Mouse, is an American musician, songwriter and producer. He came to prominence in 2004 when he released The Grey Album, which combined vocal performances from Jay-Z's The Black Album with instrumentals from The Beatles' White Album.He...
and MF DOOM
Daniel Dumile
Daniel Dumile is a hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most notably MF DOOM, where the "MF" stands for metal face, and for tracks he has produced, metal fingers...
under the name Danger Doom
Danger Doom
Danger Doom is a musical collaboration between DJ and producer Danger Mouse and rapper MF Doom. Their first album, The Mouse and the Mask, was released in 2005, and followed by the Occult Hymn EP in 2006.-Background:...
, released on October 11, 2005 by Punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
Label Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
marking it the third hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
release for the label. It was also released by Lex Records
Lex Records
Lex Records is an independent record label founded by Tom Brown in 2001. The label was an imprint of Warp Records and run from their North London offices, until September 2005.Lex has a low volume of releases, rarely releasing more than three albums annually...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on October 17, 2005, with different cover art.
Concept and history
The album is composed almost entirely of rapsRapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
by MF DOOM, performed over beats created by Danger Mouse sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
music from various television shows airing on Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
's programming block Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
. The album was heavily promoted by the network prior to its release.
"Sofa King" was released as a 12-inch single
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
on November 4, 2005 and was followed by "Old School" on July 10, 2006. A video for "A.T.H.F." has also been made.
Comedian Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle
David Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle is an American comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, actor, and artist. Chappelle began his film career in the film Robin Hood: Men in Tights in 1993 and continued to star in minor roles in the films The Nutty Professor, Con Air, and Blue Streak. His...
created an iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
Celebrity Playlist and selected the Danger Doom 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." MF Doom mentions Chappelle in the song "Peoples, Places, and Things" (called "Name Dropping" on his CD "Live from Planet X
Live from Planet X
Live from Planet X is a live album by MF DOOM, released on March 5, 2005 through Nature Sounds. It was recorded live in San Francisco, California, on 15 August 2004. Originally titled Live at the DNA Lounge, the album was initially given away with Special Herbs, Vols. 5 & 6, an instrumental hip hop...
"). 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
Monsta Island Czars
Monsta Island Czars is a hip-hop group based in New York City, New York, USA most notable for members MF Grimm and former member MF DOOM.-History:...
(aka M.I.C.) as 'Midgets Into Crunk
Crunk
Crunk is a music style that originated in Memphis, Tennessee in the mid-to-late 1990s and gained mainstream success around 2003–2004. Performers of crunk music are sometimes referred to as crunksters. An archetypal crunk track most frequently uses a drum machine rhythm, heavy bassline, and...
' in the song "El Chupa Nibre" (on the paraphrased remix version
Occult Hymn
Occult Hymn is a follow-up EP to Danger Doom's debut album The Mouse & The Mask. It contains seven tracks and was released as a free download at Adult Swim's website on May 30, 2006...
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
American Hunger
American Hunger is a triple album released on CD. It was released in 2006 by Manhattan, New York rap artist MF Grimm. It is also the first triple album in hip-hop history...
), in which he mainly accuses Doom of having sold out.
"Old School" features a mix of Keith Mansfield
Keith Mansfield
Keith Mansfield is a British composer and arranger known for his creation of prominent television theme tunes, including the Grandstand theme for the BBC...
's song "Funky Fanfare," and "Space Ho's" sample Mansfield's "Morning Broadway."
The rap that Meatwad
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Aqua Teen Hunger Force , retitled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 in 2011, is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network late night programing block, Adult Swim, as well as Teletoon's Teletoon at Night block and later G4 Canada's ADd block in Canada...
performs at the end of "Bada Bing" is a verse from "Beef Rapp", the first song on MF Doom's album MM..Food?
MM..Food?
Mm.. Food is an album by American hip hop artist Daniel Dumile, his second full-length under the MF DOOM moniker. It was released on November 16, 2004 on Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Overview:...
.
As of November 6, 2008 the album has sold 170,081 copies.
Reception
Professional reviews- SpinSpin (magazine)Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
(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 WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
(No. 844, p. 152) - "[A] hip-hop tour-de-farce." - Grade: A-
- MagnetMagnet (magazine)Magnet is a music magazine which generally focuses on alternative, independent, or out-of-the-mainstream bands.-History:The magazine is published four times a year, and is independently owned and edited by Eric T. Miller. Music magazines with a similar focus in the 1990s era included Option,...
(pp. 89–93) - "Wading deep into hip hop's rich history, they deliver a record that conjures the classics without sounding willfully retro."
- The WireThe Wire (magazine)The Wire is a British avant garde music magazine, founded in 1982 by jazz promoter Anthony Wood and journalist Chrissie Murray. The magazine initially concentrated on contemporary jazz and improvised music, but branched out in the early 1990s to various types of experimental music...
(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."
- MojoMojo (magazine)MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
(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
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
October 11, 2005 | Epitaph Records Epitaph Records Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record... |
CD | 86775 |
| LP | 86775 | |||
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
October 17, 2005 | Lex Records Lex Records Lex Records is an independent record label founded by Tom Brown in 2001. The label was an imprint of Warp Records and run from their North London offices, until September 2005.Lex has a low volume of releases, rarely releasing more than three albums annually... |
CD | LEX036CD |
| LP | LEX036LP |
Track listing
- "El Chupa Nibre" (Brian Burton, Daniel DumileDaniel DumileDaniel Dumile is a hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most notably MF DOOM, where the "MF" stands for metal face, and for tracks he has produced, metal fingers...
) – 2:40- Appearances by BrakBrak (character)Brak is a supervillain on the 1966 Hanna-Barbera cartoon Space Ghost, portrayed as a catlike alien space pirate trying to conquer the galaxy...
, ZorakZorakZorak is a fictional character who first appeared in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon Space Ghost. Zorak appeared as a 7 foot tall green mantis and is a foe of the show's titular superhero.-Space Ghost:...
, Master ShakeMaster ShakeMaster Shake is a fictional character on the Adult Swim animated television series, Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1, which was originally titled Aqua Teen Hunger Force since its premiere in 2000 until 2011...
, and Lois GriffinLois GriffinLois Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is voiced by writer Alex Borstein and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Lois was created and designed by series creator Seth MacFarlane... - Named after a monster from FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
- Appearances by Brak
- "Sofa King" (Burton, Dumile) – 2:57
- Appearance by Aqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger Force , retitled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 in 2011, is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network late night programing block, Adult Swim, as well as Teletoon's Teletoon at Night block and later G4 Canada's ADd block in Canada...
- Samples "Chamber Pop" by Don HarperDon HarperDon Harper was an Australian composer.Born in Melbourne in 1921, Don Harper showed an interest in music from an early age, learning to play the violin as a child...
- Appearance by Aqua Teen Hunger Force
- "The Mask" (Burton, Dennis Coles, Dumile) – 3:12
- Featuring Ghostface KillahGhostface KillahDennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
- Appearance by Brak & ZorakThe Brak ShowThe Brak Show is an animated television series that aired on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. The Brak Show is a spin-off of the animated television series, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and featured recurring characters from Space Ghost Coast to Coast and Cartoon Planet...
- Samples: "Sadness Theme" by Franco Micalizzi
- Samples: "If You Only Had the Time" by Nova Local
- Samples: "Rhythm's Dealer" by Ted Atking and His Orchestra
- Featuring Ghostface Killah
- "Perfect Hair" (B. Burton, D. Dumile) – 2:03
- Appearance by Master ShakeMaster ShakeMaster Shake is a fictional character on the Adult Swim animated television series, Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1, which was originally titled Aqua Teen Hunger Force since its premiere in 2000 until 2011...
- Appearance by Master Shake
- "Benzie Box" (B. Burton, D. Dumile, Cee-Lo Green) – 3:00
- Featuring Cee-Lo
- "Old School" (B. Burton, D. Dumile) – 2:40
- Featuring Talib KweliTalib KweliTalib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
- Appearance by Aqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger Force , retitled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 in 2011, is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network late night programing block, Adult Swim, as well as Teletoon's Teletoon at Night block and later G4 Canada's ADd block in Canada...
- Samples: "Funky Fanfare" by Keith MansfieldKeith MansfieldKeith Mansfield is a British composer and arranger known for his creation of prominent television theme tunes, including the Grandstand theme for the BBC...
- Featuring Talib Kweli
- "A.T.H.F." (Burton, Dumile) – 3:03
- Appearance by Aqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger Force , retitled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 in 2011, is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network late night programing block, Adult Swim, as well as Teletoon's Teletoon at Night block and later G4 Canada's ADd block in Canada...
- Samples: "Next Episode" by Richard Demaria
- Samples: "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Theme" by Schoolly DSchoolly DJesse B. Weaver Jr. , better known by the stage name Schoolly D, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.- Career :...
- Appearance by Aqua Teen Hunger Force
- "Basket Case" (Burton, Dumile) – 2:35
- Appearance by the cast of Harvey BirdmanHarvey BirdmanHarvey Birdman is a super hero on the Hanna-Barbera show Birdman and the Galaxy Trio, a depressed guy on Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and an attorney on Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.-Birdman and the Galaxy Trio:...
- Samples: "Misty Canyon" by Sven LibaekSven LibaekSven Libaek is an Australian composer, record producer and musician. He is well-known for his film and TV soundtrack music and also had a significant influence on the Australian popular music scene in the mid-1960s as the staff producer for the Australian division of CBS Records...
- Appearance by the cast of Harvey Birdman
- "No Names" (Burton, Dumile) – 3:07
- Appearance by the cast of Sealab 2021Sealab 2021Sealab 2021 is an American animated television series. It was shown on Cartoon Network's adult-oriented programming block, Adult Swim. It premiered on November 23, 2000 and the final episode aired on April 25, 2005...
- Samples: "Light 6" by Herbie FlowersHerbie FlowersHerbie Flowers is an English musician specialising in bass guitar, double-bass and tuba. He is noted as a member of Blue Mink, T...
and Barry MorganBarry MorganBarry Cennydd Morgan has been the Archbishop of the Church in Wales since 2003.-Early life:Morgan was born in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Neath Port Talbot and studied history at University College, London and theology at Selwyn College, Cambridge... - Samples: "Eleanor Rigby" by Vanilla FudgeVanilla FudgeVanilla Fudge is an American rock band. The band's original lineup – vocalist/organist Mark Stein, bassist/vocalist Tim Bogert, lead guitarist/vocalist Vince Martell, and drummer/vocalist Carmine Appice – recorded five albums during the years 1966–69, before disbanding in 1970...
- Appearance by the cast of Sealab 2021
- "Crosshairs" (Burton, Dumile) – 2:27
- Appearance by Brak and Thundercleese
- Samples: "Thoughtful Popper" by Don HarperDon HarperDon Harper was an Australian composer.Born in Melbourne in 1921, Don Harper showed an interest in music from an early age, learning to play the violin as a child...
- "Mince Meat" (Burton, Dumile) – 2:33
- Lyric: "I'll make mince meat out of that [beat] mouse!" sampled from Total Television's Klondike KatKlondike KatKlondike Kat was a cartoon produced by Total Television and originally aired as part of The Beagles on CBS-TV, and later found in the U.S. syndicated Underdog and Tennessee Tuxedo cartoon series, in between episodes as an animated short.-Plot:...
cartoon
- Lyric: "I'll make mince meat out of that [beat] mouse!" sampled from Total Television's Klondike Kat
- "Vats of Urine" (Burton, Dumile) – 1:48
- Appearance by the Mooninites
- "Space Ho's" (Burton, Dumile) – 3:29
- Appearance by Space GhostSpace GhostSpace Ghost is a fictional superhero created by Hanna-Barbera Productions and designed by Alex Toth for CBS in the 1960s. In his original incarnation, he was a superhero who, with his sidekick teen helpers Jan, Jace, and Blip the monkey, fought supervillains in outer space...
- Samples: "Morning Broadway" by Keith MansfieldKeith MansfieldKeith Mansfield is a British composer and arranger known for his creation of prominent television theme tunes, including the Grandstand theme for the BBC...
- Samples: "Rainmaker" by Harry NilssonHarry NilssonHarry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
- Appearance by Space Ghost
- "Bada Bing" (Burton, Dumile) – 4:35
- Appearance by Aqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger Force , retitled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 in 2011, is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network late night programing block, Adult Swim, as well as Teletoon's Teletoon at Night block and later G4 Canada's ADd block in Canada...
- Samples: "Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO SpeedwagonREO SpeedwagonREO Speedwagon is an American rock band. Formed in 1967, the band grew in popularity during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. Hi Infidelity is the group's most commercially successful album, selling over ten million copies and charting four Top 40 hits in the US...
- 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
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
41 |
| U.S. Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | 31 |
| U.S. Top Independent Albums | 2 |
Personnel
- Mark LinkousMark LinkousMark Linkous was an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as leader of Sparklehorse. He was also known for his collaborations with such notable artists as Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Daniel Johnston, Radiohead, Black Francis, Julian Casablancas, Nina Persson, Sean Terrington Wright, David...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Money MarkMoney MarkMark Ramos-Nishita aka Money Mark is a producer and musician who has collaborated with the Beastie Boys many times. He also appears on the first Banyan album in 1997 as the "Freeway Keyboardist".-Career:...
– keysKey (instrument)A key is a specific part of a musical instrument. The purpose and function of the part in question depends on the instrument.On instruments equipped with tuning machines, violins and guitars, for example, a key is part of a tuning machine. It is a worm gear with a key shaped end used to turn a cog,...