Send "Us3 " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Popmatters |
 When Us3 snagged everyone’s attention in 1993 with their hit song “Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)”, it might have been difficult to predict any longevity in an act that blended hip-hop, DJ scratching and the sampling of recognizable (re: “classic”) jazz motifs. Just how long would people permit the use of melodies by Herbie Hancock, Grant Green and Horace Silver to be used in such a way? To their credit, Blue Note was very courageous in encouraging acts like Madlib in this territory. But Us3 main man Geoff Wilkinson’s manner of sustaining his career is twofold. For one thing, the sampling of the old masters has gradually been pushed out of the mix over the last 15 years of so. The horn and piano lines you now hear are original Wilkinson charts played by present-day jazz musicians. Secondly, things have become less fun.I don’t necessarily mean this as a criticism. After all, the language of hip-hop comes from a place where the human condition is not exactly rosy, and Latin and jazz music are not too far behind in the way they capture urban troubles. Us3’s new album Lie, Cheat and Steal is downright cynical, that’s just a fact. Should you jump backwards to Wilkinson and departed co-founder Mel Simpson’s debut album Hand on Torch, you can scientifically prove that things are just not as fun as they used to be. And why should they be? The economy keeps hitting new lows while the people in power, day after day, continue to avoid judgment. No one can accuse Wilkinson of being overly bitter when he rhetorically asks “Is this what a democracy should look like, where it’s ok to lie, cheat and steal your way to the top?”...full text |
| Rapreviews |
| 2009's "stop. think. run" was a welcome return of Us3 to U.S. shores. Geoff Wilkinson had never gone out of business, and in fact was quite prolific in producing new Us3 material, but the all too familiar malaise of music industry politics prevented a lot of material from reaching an audience outside England. Many people mistakenly believed the group was a one-hit wonder who achieved its greatest fame in 1993 and then simply bowed out at the height of their popularity to rest on their laurels. Anyone who can speak of Us3's catalogue or their main man Wilkinson can tell you nothing could be further from the truth. He is relentlessly driven to fuse hip-hop with jazz, funk, soul and rock 'n roll. In his way he is trying to achieve the same thing the late great Keith Elam set out to do on his "Jazzamatazz" series - open minds while at the same time creating jams that open dancefloors to the good times. Lest one get a mistaken impression, that doesn't mean Wilkinson's albums as Us3 are music without a message. While his initial and to-date biggest hit was a light breezy affair that encouraged heads to dip and flip, some of the messages of late are a serious trip. Wilkinson has dropped this explanation of why his latest effort seems titularly aimed at corporate greed: "I've become increasingly disillusioned by the people we, as children, are traditionally brought up to look up to. Politicians, police, business leaders, sportsmen, religious leaders, etc all seem to be up to their eyeballs in corrupt practices. The gap between the haves and the have-nots is widening at an increasing pace. Is this what a democracy should look like, where it's ok to lie, cheat & steal your way to the top?" If this sounds like Occupy Wall Street to you then you're probably part of the 99%, not the other 1%. While the name Oveous Maximus may sound like the leader of a cyber-Roman garrison on an alternate Earth in Doctor Who, this particular Us3 contributor is from the Bronx & Washington Heights. The funky slap bass and crispy hi-hat to go along with his vocals on "Ghost" are silky smooth. If the impression you're left with from listening is that you're chilling in a smoke-filled jazz cage, that's got to be what Wilkinson was aiming for - I see it like a black and white film....full text |
| Barrygruff |
| Us3 is the brainchild of London-based producer Geoff Wilkinson, formed in 1992 they returned with their 8th album Lie, Cheat & Steal on October 3rd. Wilkinson’s hip-hop-jazz crew sees the introduction of two new MC’s, New York based rapper Oveous Maximus and all round UK hip hop genius Akala. They have kindly previewed two tracks ‘You Can Run But You Can’t Hide’ and ’Lie, Cheat & Steal’ on SoundCloud. As with anything Akala touches, this is pure gold. Sharp, articulate and powerful lyrics over a more unfamiliar but no less impressive old school jazzy sound, just wait for the epic crescendo of horns to kick in on the title track....full text |
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