“The Mask (f/ Ghostface)” – Danger Doom
(Words/music: Brian Burton, Dennis Coles, Daniel Dumile, available on The Mouse and the Mask, Epitaph 2005)
In college, Sunday nights belonged to cartoons. The Simpsons (since its move from Thursday nights) was already part of my Sunday routine, and during college I discovered Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. This was around the time of Sealab 2021 and the first couple seasons of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. These bizarre bits of animation were a welcome distraction from the work I put off all weekend, and I had long been a fan of Space Ghost Coast to Coast, so I was destined to fall into Adult Swim’s programming block. I’ve rarely seen Adult Swim since, mostly because of a series of jobs that required me up early Monday morning, but I keep tabs on it through others who set their DVRs (or stay up to watch). When I heard about The Mouse and the Mask, a collaboration between Danger Mouse and MF Doom, I was intrigued. When I heard that the album carried a cartoon theme (including samples from Adult Swim shows), I was sold. It makes sense for this pair to make a Cartoon Network-affiliated album; Doom often indulges in some goofy imagery, and Danger Mouse’s beats sometimes sound like a Saturday morning soundtrack.
Built around a horn riff that sounds like a chase sequence, Doom and Ghostface rap about visages. Doom focuses on his own distinctive metal mask, dipping into a few odd phrases as he lays out his verse. Ghostface even shares this same whimsical tone, taking Doom’s hypothetical situation and continuing on, declaring the two of them “superheroes for life until our souls vanish” at the end. It’s not either man’s finest moment, but it’s fitting for the beat and fitting for the project. If either MC took it completely seriously, the final product wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable. Instead, it’s a well-produced track that’s easy to like. Even the Brak and Zorak skit at the end is tolerable, mainly because the track seems like something that could exist in their universe.
More on Danger Doom: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm
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