Us3
Hand On The Torch

“Hand on the Torch” is the debut studio album by the British jazz rap group Us3. Released to widespread acclaim, it garnered attention for blending jazz and hip-hop, sampling material from iconic 20th-century jazz recordings, notably Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island” on the track “Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)”, which also had two music videos released as singles.

In 2003, “The Ultimate Hand on the Torch” was released, featuring many of the original jazz tracks sampled on “Hand on the Torch”.

The album’s fusion of genres and innovative sampling earned it critical praise and a Grammy Award nomination. It also marked a significant milestone as the first platinum-certified album released by Blue Note Records.