MF DOOM

Two of the most hyped artists in the indie hip-hop scene, MF DOOM and Danger Mouse, are known for their highly original styles and eclectic side projects. On this collaborative LP, they take us on a woozy, bugged-out journey alongside Adult Swim cartoon characters and co-conspirators like Ghostface, Talib Kweli and Cee-Lo.

On The Mouse and the Mask, reigning hip-hop nerds MF Doom (the awesomely weird
comic-book-obsessed MC) and Danger Mouse (who blew up last year with his high-concept
bootleg The Grey Album) unite for a bouncy horn-, string- and piano-drenched disc that
seems custom-designed to appeal to precocious teenagers. Inspired by Cartoon Network's
"Adult Swim," the album features cameos from animated characters such as Harv... More >

I've seen enough Adult Swim to agree with Epitaph prexy Andy Kaulkin: "Danger Mouse and Doom [which I refuse to uppercase--R.C.] are both brilliant at taking chunks of popular culture and shaping them into art [I would say more art--R.C.]. The context of Adult Swim makes this already promising collaboration truly inspired." Both guys are so irrepressibly playful that they get serious at their peril--they're better off as a nonstop musical goof. Fave detail: Doom's rhyming of the ancient usages "beer and skittles" (meaning ninepins, not some modern candy or long-lost salty snack) and "jot and tittle." I promise to watch the DVD. (Grade - A-)