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.

Critical reception

The Boston Globe listed Hand on the Torch among the best albums of 1993, writing: "Of all the CDs exploring the hybrid of rap, hip-hop and jazz, none hit the target the way this one did." In 2016, the musical publication MusicRadar labeled the release a "hip-hop tour de force".

Track listing

Sampling

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications