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Us3: Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)

By Scott Lichtman
July 27, 2024
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Jazz often reinvents itself by melding established sounds and techniques with the latest forms of popular music. In the early '90s, jazz turned its ear to hip hop, and the first seminal mash-up appeared: "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" by Us3. It's a "funky, funky" tune based on Herbie Hancock's 1964 recording, "Cantaloupe Island." English group Us3 demonstrated how riff sampling, looping and rap, when combined with hard-swinging rhythm and horn sections, could yield a top 10 hit on the Billboard US Pop 100 rankings. Get ready to snap your fingers to this catchy concoction.

Contact Scott Lichtman on All About Jazz.
Jazz/fusion keyboardist & autograph collector in Stamford CT.

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