Us3

British Jazz-Rap Group

Us3 is a British jazz-rap group that was founded in London in 1992 by producer Geoff Wilkinson and production partner Mel Simpson. The group is known for incorporating elements of jazz into hip-hop, creating a distinctive sound that often features samples from classic Blue Note Records tracks. Us3's most famous album, "Hand on the Torch," was released in 1993 and became a commercial success, largely due to the hit single "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)." This track, which samples Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island," brought the group international acclaim and helped popularize jazz-rap as a genre. Throughout their career, Us3 has seen changes in its lineup and has continued to produce music that fuses jazz elements with hip-hop beats and socially conscious lyrics.