The Mouse and the Mask | |||||
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Studio album by Danger Doom | |||||
Released | October 10, 2005 (EU) October 11, 2005 (United States) |
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Recorded | 2003-2005 | ||||
Genre | Underground hip hop | ||||
Length | 39:51 | ||||
Label |
Lex / Epitaph #86775 |
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Producer | Danger Mouse | ||||
Danger Doom chronology | |||||
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MF Doom chronology | |||||
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Danger Mouse chronology | |||||
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Alternative cover | |||||
European cover
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Singles from The Mouse and the Mask | |||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 81/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Entertainment Weekly | A− |
The Guardian | |
Los Angeles Times | |
Mojo | |
Pitchfork Media | 7.8/10 |
Rolling Stone | |
Slant Magazine | |
Spin | B |
The Village Voice | A− |
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.
The album is composed almost entirely of raps 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.