Song Clearance Sheet
4 sources citedCantaloop (Flip Fantasia)
Jazz-Rap1990s116BPM
F minKey
More around 120 BPM → · More in F minor →
Tempo/key via GetSongBPM →, Deezer →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
A genuinely clean, PROACTIVELY authorized case — Blue Note/Capitol (confirmed) gave Us3 free rein to sample the catalog, and Herbie Hancock himself confirmed it boosted “Cantaloupe Island.” No dispute of any kind.
Used by independents?
Unconfirmed — the page doesn't yet document enough sampler detail to tell.
Quick Facts
Released1992
AlbumHand on the Torch
GenreJazz-Rap, Acid Jazz
LabelBlue Note Records
ProducerGeoff Wilkinson · Mel Simpson
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The current administrator — Blue Note Records / Capitol — which explicitly authorized the sampling
Blue Note Records → · checked Jul 2026
The songwriters of record — Geoff Wilkinson, Mel Simpson & Rahsaan Kelly (+ Hancock via the sample)
WhoSampled → · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
Yes — Blue Note’s first-ever gold single (1994) and a #9 Hot 100 hit; a pivotal early-’90s jazz-rap crossover, cleared proactively from the outset.
Do they allow reuse?
Yes in practice — a rare case where the label (Blue Note/Capitol) INVITED the sampling; a confirmed administrator and no dispute of any kind.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
The 1964 Hancock standard this is built on (proactively cleared by Blue Note)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Geoff Wilkinson, Mel Simpson & Rahsaan Kelly (+ Herbie Hancock and the sampled writers)
The current administratorBlue Note Records / Capitol
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
The label invited the sampling
After an earlier Us3 single caught Blue Note owner Capitol’s attention, the label proactively gave Wilkinson and Simpson explicit free rein to sample anything from Blue Note’s entire catalog — a rare case of a label inviting extensive sampling rather than any dispute.
Blue Note Records · read it →
Hancock confirmed the real career boost
Wilkinson has described meeting Hancock, who was “always very complimentary” — noting “Cantaloupe Island” got a real boost from being sampled here, becoming a far more widely-covered jazz standard afterward.
American Songwriter · read it →
A milestone for Blue Note
It became Blue Note’s first-ever gold-certified single (RIAA, March 1994) and the label’s first platinum album via “Hand on the Torch.”
SPIN · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
Built on Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island”
Covers
—
First flip
Who to Contact
U3
Blue Note Records / Capitol
The confirmed administrator that authorized the sampling
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
Don't Want the Hassle?
Sample something pre-cleared insteadCheck Tracklib →
Find a similar sound that's 100% freeBrowse the catalog →
References
Every source cited on this page — 4 in total
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 3)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass