Rating: N
In what could be the strangest hiphop branding co-venture since Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas joined forces with Coors to launch their Zima beverage campaign with his Must B 21 (BBE) solo album, MF Doom and producer Danger Mouse have hooked up with Adult Swim (the force behind Cartoon Network programs like Space Ghost Coast To Coast and Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law) for The Mouse And The Mask. Apparently Danger Mouse’s turn with the Gorillaz has whet his appetite for working with cartoon characters, as this recording is silly with guest cameos by Adult Swim’s stars, along with enthusiastic testimonials about the joys of watching cartoons. Of course, Adult Swim’s audience isn’t all grown-ups, so all the potentially offensive words have been bleeped out. It all seems carefully programmed to make for a wholesome corporate commercial. Too bad the disc doesn’t double as a good hiphop album.
