| Hand on the Torch | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 November 1993 | |||
| Recorded | Flame Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Jazz rap | |||
| Length | 54:49 | |||
| Label | Blue Note | |||
| Producer | Mel Simpson, Geoff Wilkinson | |||
| Us3 chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Hand On the Torch | ||||
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Hand on the Torch is the debut studio album by British jazz rap group Us3. It received widespread attention due to its mixture of jazz with hip-hop music, with material from popular jazz musicians of the 20th century being reimagined. The samples used on the album are from old Blue Note Records classics: the most famous was Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island", which Us3 used on the track "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)". It came out as a single having two different music videos.
In 2003, The Ultimate Hand on the Torch was released, including many of the songs used as sampling material on Hand on the Torch.
The album was a critical success and reached a widespread audience, with the work being nominated for a Grammy Award. It also was the first platinum-certified album put out by Blue Note Records.