Us3

This article is about the band. For the highway route, see U.S. Route 3.

Us3 were a British jazz rap group founded by London-based producer Geoff Wilkinson in 1992.

Us3
Origin	London, England
Years active	1992–2014
Labels	Blue Note Us3
Past members	Geoff Wilkinson Mel Simpson Rahsaan Kelly Kobie Powell Tukka Yoot KCB Shabaam Sahdeeq Michelob Alison Crockett Reggi Wyns Mpho Skeef Akil Dasan Gaston Adeline Brook Yung Sene Oveous Maximus Akala
Website	us3.com

The name was inspired by Us Three, a Horace Parlan album produced in 1960 by Alfred Lion, the founder of Blue Note Records.^[1] 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.^[2]

Wilkinson established Us3 with production partner Mel Simpson.^[2] One of the resulting demos, recorded in March 1992, was "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)", featuring UK trumpeter Gerard Presencer.^[2] It sampled Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island".^[2] After winding up Us3 in 2014, Wilkinson went on to specialise in producing film and library music.^[3]

Discography

Albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions

Title	Year	Peak chart positions
		UK [4]	AUS [5]	AUT [6]	GER [7]	NLD [8]	NZ [9]	SWI [10]	US [11]	US R&B/HH [12]
Hand on the Torch	1993	40	51	11	29	81	28	21	31	21
Broadway & 52nd	1997	93	90	28	80	91	39	48	—	90
An Ordinary Day in an Unusual Place	2001	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Questions	2004	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Schizophonic	2006	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Say What!?	2007	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Stop. Think. Run.	2009	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Lie, Cheat & Steal	2011	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
The Third Way	2013	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions

Title	Year	Peak positions										Album
		UK [4]	AUS [13]	AUT [6]	BEL (FL) [13]	GER [7]	NLD [8]	NZ [9]	SWI [10]	US [14]	US R&B [15]
"Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)"	1992	76	32	3	24	22	18	16	7	9	21	Hand on the Torch
"Tukka Yoot's Riddim"	1993	34	—	24	—	97	—	28	26	—	—
"Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" (UK reissue)		23	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
"I Got It Goin' On"	1994	52	—	—	—	—	—	39	—	—	—
"Eleven Long Years"		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
"Come on Everybody (Get Down)"	1997	38	—	—	—	—	—	—	49	—	—	Broadway & 52nd
"I'm Thinking About Your Body"		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
"You Can't Hold Me Down"	2001	94	—	—	—	—	98	—	—	—	—	An Ordinary Day in an Unusual Place
"Get Out"	2002	174	—	—	—	—	97	—	—	—	—
"Say You Belong to Me"	2007	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Say What!?
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.