By By Jesse Cataldo

On a list of possible crossover rap projects, cartoons would have to place somewhere near the bottom. Even if those cartoons were products of “Adult Swim,” The Cartoon Network’s nightly block of hyper-absurd, near nihilistic post-animation, the possibility for awkward crossbreeding and sour jokes seems almost too much to bear. And yes, it does happen, but somehow, The Mouse and the Mask, a collaborative effort between Danger Mouse and MF Doom, almost works.

Maybe it’s because, like Doom’s two previous narrowly focused works (Mmm Food and Madvilliany) the album is more of a insightful witty immersion into cultural obsession than a wacky concept album. Maybe it’s because Doom, with his everpresent metal mask and lyrical reliance on pop-culture debris, is something of a cartoon himself. Topically, the album is a natural progression from Madvilliany, which examined our cultural fascination with evil masterminds over ’50s movie voiceovers. The album takes a similar tack and its strongest moments concern the topic directly. “Old School,” a track on which Doom and Talib Kweli wax nostalgic over the awesome power of breakfast cereal and Scooby Doo, is a highlight.

Conversely, the weakest moments are the frequent, jarring appearances of Adult Swim characters, ill-advised attempts at humor that end up less funny than Doom’s absurd lyrics.

While Doom’s awkwardly engaging wordplay sparkles as usual, Mouse, in his first appearance since the now legendary Grey Album, provides funk and jazz based beats that don’t stray far from the standard indie-hip hop backdrops.

In this way, the album fails to establish a strong musical motif, especially disappointing considering the rich variety of sounds available amongst 80 years worth of cartoons. While Madvilliany created a cozy aura of cheesy old action films with quick samples and trumpet flares, the album lacks identity. Doom does his best, but the combined dead weight of cartoon mash-ins and uninspired production prevent it from becoming anything special.