British jazz/hip-hop fusion collective Us3 formed in London in 1992. Its notable members included producers Mel Simpson and Geoff Wilkinson. The group had a big hit in 1994 with "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)", a track that showcased the group's penchant for sampling classic Blue Note label recordings (in this case, Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island"). The track was included on their debut album Hand On The Torch.
The album was the result of their relationships with Blue Note owners Capitol Records, who gave Simpson and Wilkinson free rein to sample anything from the Blue Note catalogue. Along with several musicians and rappers Kobie Powell and Rahsaan Kelly, they sampled a range of Blue Note classics, from Art Blakey and Thelonious Monk to Horace Sylver and the aforementioned Herbie Hancock. With the release of "Hand On The Torch", Us3 had created one of the most ingenious marriages between styles and became one of Blue Note Label's best-selling jazz albums.
"Hand On The Torch" includes a supplement.