Us3

Us3 is a British jazz rap group founded by London-based producer Geoff Wilkinson in 1992¹. The name was inspired by Us Three, a Horace Parlan album produced in 1960 by Alfred Lion, the founder of Blue Note Records. Us3's debut album, Hand on the Torch, used samples from Blue Note songs produced by Lion.

Us3 is a British jazz rap group founded by London-based producer Geoff Wilkinson in 1992. The name was inspired by Us Three, a Horace Parlan album produced in 1960 by Alfred Lion, the founder of Blue Note Records. Us3's debut album, Hand on the Torch, used samples from Blue Note songs produced by Lion. ==History== In the early 1990s, London-based producer Geoff Wilkinson produced two recordings under the name Us3. The first was 1990's "Where Will We Be in the 21st Century", a limited-edition white label 12" release. It drew the attention of independent label Ninja Tune, resulting in NW1's 1991 12-inch single "The Band Played The Boogie", featuring UK rapper Born 2 B. Wilkinson established Us3 with production partner Mel Simpson. One of the resulting demos, recorded in March 1992, was "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)", featuring UK trumpeter Gerard Presencer. It sampled Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island". Us3 went on a hiatus in 2014, during which Wilkinson went on to specialise in producing film and library music. In 2025, Us3 released Soundtrack, a studio album consisting of a cinematic mix of trap rhythms with big band orchestration, including tracks inspired by Gil Evans and Don Ellis. ==Discography== ===Albums=== ===Singles=== ==References== ==Other sources== Radio interview with Us3 founder Geoff Wilkinson on Kiss FM February 1992 Us3 Founder Geoff Wilkinson and Born 2 B, Kiss FM London 1992 - Play on N1M Ninja Tune - Two decades of mixes and mash-ups ==External links== The Us3 YouTube channel Us3 on Instagram Innerviews' 2025 audio interview with Geoff Wilkinson Innerviews' 2009 interview with Geoff Wilkinson "Jazz and Hip-Hop: Can They Really Mix?" by Jared Pauley, (Jazz.com)

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