DANGERDOOM

DANGERDOOM, the collaborative record from MF Doom and Dangermouse, arrived in my mailbox the other day. The record's titled The Mouse and The Mask. I've been looking forward to hearing this record for awhile, but was really worried it might be lackluster. Not for any particular reason, but mainly because collabo records often disappoint (each artist usually gets too watered-down in the sharing process).

Holy shit, was I wrong.

This record is fucking incredible. First of all, it's got an Adult Swim (Cartoon Network's mature programming) theme threaded throughout. Now normally, I would be opposed to such trite product placement, but the skits between the songs (which contain appearances by Harvey Birdman attorney at law, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Space Ghost, etc.) are hilarious, well-written, and well-planned. I'd go as far as to say that Doom and DM have given new life to "The Skit," a comedic/dramatic device which has been a plague on hip-hop albums for more than a decade.

Now let's mention the music. The production is top notch. Dangermouse, with all the hype surrounding his abilities, hasn't let the pressure or praise go to his head. Coming off his work on the Gorillaz Demon Days, DM continues to hone his skills as a producer. The standout tracks on the album are "Sofa King," with its melodic melody, brisk tempo, and rock hard kick and snare pattern, and "Old School" with Talib Kweli--which finds he and Doom waxing poetic over memories of Saturday morning cartoons and rhyming over boombox beats while snacking on a bowl of
cereal. Good shit, extremely good shit.

Lastly, there's MF Doom. For The Mouse and The Mask, his skills have somehow gotten better. He's already been one of my favs for sometime now, but this record, its theme, and his ability to spin tall tales have all been elevated. I hate the term "next-level shit," but it really fits the bill in this case.

If this site were a reputable magazine, and we had a rating system comprised of stars, mics, or some other gauge of quality, I'd give this bitch a five. It's that good. I'll go as far as to call it a classic.

PS: Due to the rampant influx of spam I've been receiving, the comments sections on some of my posts have been removed. Most folks don't really comment on here anyway. But if you have something you'd like to say, feel free to drop me an email.