# Danger Mouse (musician)
**Danger Mouse** is the stage name of Brian Joseph Burton, an American musician, songwriter, and record producer known for the 2004 mash-up *The Grey Album*, for the projects [Gnarls Barkley](https://www.edgepedia.org/gnarls-barkley), Danger Doom, and [Broken Bells](https://www.edgepedia.org/broken-bells), and for producing records by Gorillaz, The Black Keys, Adele, U2, and [Michael Kiwanuka](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-kiwanuka), among others.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Real name and origin | Brian Burton, born in White Plains, New York, raised partly in Spring Valley, New York[1](https://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?P=amg&sql=11%3Awzfexqe0ldhe) • [2](https://www.grammy.com/news/and-the-grammy-went-to-danger-mouse/) |
| Breakthrough | *The Grey Album* (2004), a mash-up of Jay-Z's *The Black Album* vocals and The Beatles' *White Album* instrumentals[3](https://djbooth.net/features/2019-10-28-danger-mouse-raps-great-what-if-producer/) |
| Copyright event | EMI cease-and-desist in March 2004; on "Grey Tuesday" over 100,000 copies downloaded in 24 hours across 170 websites[4](https://www.audiotechnology.net/features/danger-mouse-producer-of-the-decade) |
| Signature projects | Gnarls Barkley with Cee-Lo Green (two albums, 2006 and 2008), Danger Doom with MF DOOM (2005), Broken Bells with James Mercer (from 2009)[5](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/danger-mouse) • [2](https://www.grammy.com/news/and-the-grammy-went-to-danger-mouse/) |
| Biggest hit | "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley (2006), the first song in British chart history to reach number one purely on download sales[5](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/danger-mouse) |
| Grammy | Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards (February 13, 2011)[2](https://www.grammy.com/news/and-the-grammy-went-to-danger-mouse/) |
| Signature trait | No fixed genre; critics describe a signature feeling of intense, atmospheric, melancholy-laden production across rock, hip-hop, and pop-soul[6](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/dec/27/danger-mouse-from-outside-artist-to-musical-power-house) |
## Early career
Burton was born in [White Plains, New York](https://www.edgepedia.org/white-plains-new-york), to a schoolteacher father and a social worker mother, and spent much of his childhood in Spring Valley, New York.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?P=amg&sql=11%3Awzfexqe0ldhe) He attended college in [Athens, Georgia](https://www.edgepedia.org/athens-georgia), then moved to London in 2001, one class short of graduating, to further his recording career, and took the name Danger Mouse from the cartoon character of the same name.[2](https://www.grammy.com/news/and-the-grammy-went-to-danger-mouse/) While still a student he released two albums, *The Chilling Effect* (1999) and *Rhode Island* (2000), under the name Pelican City on the December First label.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?P=amg&sql=11%3Awzfexqe0ldhe)
His first collaborative album introduced the production style that made his reputation: *Ghetto Pop Life* (2003) with the Brooklyn rapper Jemini, a sample-driven record that established him in underground hip-hop.[7](https://djmag.com/features/danger-mouse-black-thought-cracking-code) He sometimes performed in a mouse costume to ease his stage fright.[8](https://time.com/archive/6672929/music-a-rodent-in-the-gorilla-house/)
## The Grey Album
In 2004 Burton locked himself in his second-storey bedroom with a PC running Sony's Acid software, the a cappella vocals from Jay-Z's *The Black Album*, and the music of [The Beatles](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-beatles)' *White Album*. The AudioTechnology profile describes him emerging seven days later with the finished mash-up;[4](https://www.audiotechnology.net/features/danger-mouse-producer-of-the-decade) a Los Angeles Times account instead reports that he worked on it for a solid two and a half weeks.[9](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jun-11-et-danger11-story.html) The record was originally intended for friends he knew would not be offended by the "sacrilegious" treatment of Beatles material.[4](https://www.audiotechnology.net/features/danger-mouse-producer-of-the-decade)
Because the Beatles' tracks were never cleared, the album never received a formal release.[2](https://www.grammy.com/news/and-the-grammy-went-to-danger-mouse/) EMI, which holds the Beatles' copyrights, issued cease-and-desist orders to Burton and to people circulating the recording.[10](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-dec-09-et-mouse9-story.html) The enforcement backfired: on a day dubbed **Grey Tuesday**, an independent group coordinated mass distribution of the album across 170 websites, and it was downloaded more than 100,000 times in 24 hours.[4](https://www.audiotechnology.net/features/danger-mouse-producer-of-the-decade) The episode helped shape the worldwide copyright debate over sampling and mash-ups,[4](https://www.audiotechnology.net/features/danger-mouse-producer-of-the-decade) and made the Grey Album a turning point that made Burton a household name among hip-hop fans.[11](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/danger-mouse-black-thought-cheat-codes/)
The record's construction foregrounded Jay-Z's vocals over Beatles samples stretched, chopped, and twisted to fit; identifiable samples included the "Piggies" harpsichord under "Change Clothes," the "Blackbird" guitar beneath "December 4th," and chunks of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" carrying "What More Can I Say."[12](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-danger-mouse-70086.html)
## Breakthrough with Gorillaz and Gnarls Barkley
[The Grey Album](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-grey-album)'s notoriety led directly to mainstream work. In 2005 Burton signed a long-pending contract with EMI's publishing division, and [Damon Albarn](https://www.edgepedia.org/damon-albarn) asked him to produce the second Gorillaz album, *Demon Days*.[9](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jun-11-et-danger11-story.html) Albarn had heard the Grey Album and was drawn to his work; the album's single "Feel Good Inc." hit the top 10 in 16 countries and reached number 2 in the UK.[13](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/it-was-like-panning-for-gold-amongst-the-brown-murky-waters-i-saw-this-track-all-shiny-and-glimmery-shining-like-a-big-rock-of-gold-it-said-play-me-play-me-how-gorillaz-deployed-some-sublime-music-theory-to-build-their-most-beloved-tune) Burton also produced Albarn's 2007 side project [The Good, the Bad & the Queen](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-good-the-bad-and-the-queen).[14](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/features/danger-mouse-rings-in-the-new-1927858.html)
In 2006 he teamed with Cee-Lo Green as Gnarls Barkley, recording *St. Elsewhere* (2006) and *The Odd Couple* (2008).[2](https://www.grammy.com/news/and-the-grammy-went-to-danger-mouse/) Its lead single "Crazy," built on Burton's Motown-like beats, became the first song in British musical history to reach number one purely on the strength of Internet downloads.[5](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/danger-mouse) Burton also collaborated with rapper [MF Doom](https://www.edgepedia.org/mf-doom) as Danger Doom on *The Mouse and the Mask* (2005), released on Lex Records.[15](https://checkout.lexrecords.com/pages/danger-mouse)
## Later projects
**Broken Bells and Dark Night of the Soul.** In 2009 Burton formed Broken Bells with James Mercer of The Shins; their self-titled debut, released on [Columbia Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/columbia-records) in 2010, peaked at number 7 on the Billboard 200, with "The High Road" as its first single.[2](https://www.grammy.com/news/and-the-grammy-went-to-danger-mouse/) Also in 2010 came *Dark Night of the Soul*, a collaboration with Sparklehorse's Mark Linkous and filmmaker [David Lynch](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-lynch) featuring guest vocalists including [Julian Casablancas](https://www.edgepedia.org/julian-casablancas), Nina Persson, Iggy Pop, and Suzanne Vega; its release was delayed until July 2010 by a dispute between Burton and EMI.[2](https://www.grammy.com/news/and-the-grammy-went-to-danger-mouse/) With Lex he also released *Rome* (2011) with Daniele Luppi, Jack White, and Norah Jones.[15](https://checkout.lexrecords.com/pages/danger-mouse)
**Work with rock and soul artists.** Burton produced [The Black Keys](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-black-keys)' *Attack & Release* (2008), co-produced *Brothers* and *El Camino* (2011), and returned for *Turn Blue* (2014), a run associated with the band's arena-scale success.[2](https://www.grammy.com/news/and-the-grammy-went-to-danger-mouse/) • [16](https://time.com/99894/review-black-keys-turn-blue/) His credits from this period span [Portugal. The Man](https://www.edgepedia.org/portugal-the-man)'s *Evil Friends* (2013), U2's *Songs of Innocence* (2014), Michael Kiwanuka's *Love & Hate* (2016), the Red Hot Chili Peppers' *The Getaway* (2016), Adele's *25* (2015), on which he co-wrote and produced "River Lea," and Parquet Courts' *Wide Awake!* (2018).[17](https://3voor12.vpro.nl/artikelen/danger-mouse-de-producer-die-elke-veteraan-weer-fris-laat-klinken) • [6](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/dec/27/danger-mouse-from-outside-artist-to-musical-power-house) • [18](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/may/20/parquet-courts-wide-awake-review-danger-mouse) • [19](https://www.lemonde.fr/musiques/article/2016/12/30/2016-en-musiques-nos-tympans-font-le-bilan_5055512_1654986.html) In 2022 he released *Cheat Codes* with The Roots' Black Thought, including the posthumous MF Doom collaboration "Belize."[7](https://djmag.com/features/danger-mouse-black-thought-cracking-code)
## Style and reputation
Critics describe Burton as a producer without a signature sound but with a signature feeling: intense, atmospheric, and melancholy-laden.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/dec/27/danger-mouse-from-outside-artist-to-musical-power-house) He has compared his approach to that of a film director, bringing cinematic construction to records full of small details that assemble into a whole, and he is known for updating techniques and aesthetics from earlier eras, spaghetti westerns, old-school funk and soul, and library music (pre-made music licensed for film and TV), for modern records.[20](https://www.normanrecords.com/features/best-music-producers/danger-mouse) His hip-hop roots remain audible in rock productions such as The Black Keys' "Gold on the Ceiling," where a fat kick-and-snare rhythm and hand claps carry his sample-based sensibility into blues-rock.[21](https://sootmagazine.com/unpacking-producers-danger-mouse/)
His standing in the industry is reflected in the Grammy for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, won at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in February 2011, alongside earlier nominations including Best Rap Song for "Chase Me" (2018) and Best Urban/Alternative Performance for "Crazy" (2009 cycle).[2](https://www.grammy.com/news/and-the-grammy-went-to-danger-mouse/) • [22](https://www.grammy.com/artists/danger-mouse/10982/)
## References
1. [Danger Mouse Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?P=amg&sql=11%3Awzfexqe0ldhe)
2. [And The GRAMMY Went To … Danger Mouse, Grammy.com](https://www.grammy.com/news/and-the-grammy-went-to-danger-mouse/)
3. [Danger Mouse Is Rap's Great "What If?" Producer, DJBooth](https://djbooth.net/features/2019-10-28-danger-mouse-raps-great-what-if-producer/)
4. [Danger Mouse: Producer of the Decade, AudioTechnology](https://www.audiotechnology.net/features/danger-mouse-producer-of-the-decade)
5. [Danger Mouse, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/danger-mouse)
6. [Danger Mouse: from outsider artist to musical power house, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/dec/27/danger-mouse-from-outside-artist-to-musical-power-house)
7. [Danger Mouse & Black Thought: cracking the code, DJ Mag](https://djmag.com/features/danger-mouse-black-thought-cracking-code)
8. [Music: A Rodent In the Gorilla House, TIME](https://time.com/archive/6672929/music-a-rodent-in-the-gorilla-house/)
9. [The legal hot water has cooled, not his career, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jun-11-et-danger11-story.html)
10. [No 'Grey' area for Danger Mouse, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-dec-09-et-mouse9-story.html)
11. [Danger Mouse / Black Thought: Cheat Codes Album Review, Pitchfork](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/danger-mouse-black-thought-cheat-codes/)
12. [Album: Danger Mouse, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-danger-mouse-70086.html)
13. [How Gorillaz built "Feel Good Inc.", MusicRadar](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/it-was-like-panning-for-gold-amongst-the-brown-murky-waters-i-saw-this-track-all-shiny-and-glimmery-shining-like-a-big-rock-of-gold-it-said-play-me-play-me-how-gorillaz-deployed-some-sublime-music-theory-to-build-their-most-beloved-tune)
14. [Danger Mouse rings in the new, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/features/danger-mouse-rings-in-the-new-1927858.html)
15. [Danger Mouse, Lex Records](https://checkout.lexrecords.com/pages/danger-mouse)
16. [Review: The Black Keys Go Big on Turn Blue, TIME](https://time.com/99894/review-black-keys-turn-blue/)
17. [Danger Mouse: de producer die elke veteraan weer fris laat klinken, VPRO 3voor12](https://3voor12.vpro.nl/artikelen/danger-mouse-de-producer-die-elke-veteraan-weer-fris-laat-klinken)
18. [Parquet Courts: Wide Awake review, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/may/20/parquet-courts-wide-awake-review-danger-mouse)
19. [2016 en musiques: nos tympans font le bilan, Le Monde](https://www.lemonde.fr/musiques/article/2016/12/30/2016-en-musiques-nos-tympans-font-le-bilan_5055512_1654986.html)
20. [Best Music Producers: Danger Mouse, Norman Records UK](https://www.normanrecords.com/features/best-music-producers/danger-mouse)
21. [Unpacking Producers: Danger Mouse, Soot Magazine](https://sootmagazine.com/unpacking-producers-danger-mouse/)
22. [Danger Mouse Grammy Awards and Nominations, Grammy.com](https://www.grammy.com/artists/danger-mouse/10982/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Songwriters and record producers › Record producers › Contemporary producers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license