Us3 is a jazz-rap group founded in London in 1991. Their name was inspired by a Horace Parlan recording produced by Alfred Lion, the founder of Blue Note Records. On their debut album, Hand on the Torch, Us3 used samples from the Blue Note Records catalogue, all originally produced by Lion.
Us3 is the brainchild of London-based producer Geoff Wilkinson. Formed in 1992, alongside production partner Mel Simpson, Us3 had two previous incarnations. The first was a limited edition white label 12" release in 1990 called "Where Will We Be In The 21st Century" featuring rapper MC Honey B and jazz pianist Jessica Lauren. This attracted the attention of an indie label named Ninja Tune, and the result was NW1's 1991 12" "The Band Played The Boogie" featuring London rapper Born 2 B. It sampled one of the biggest dance-floor tunes of the burgeoning jazz dance scene, Grant Green's "Sookie Sookie", which was originally released on Blue Note Records.
