For art to be good, it needs to elicit emotion. Good art should make you feel how the artist felt creating it.
Cantaloop by Us3 fuses jazz and hip-hop, effortlessly blending past and present. The jazz section, sampled from Cantaloupe Island by Herbie Hancock, imbues a laid-back, cool feeling and gives the song a rhythmic base to expand upon. Meanwhile, the hip-hop beats and verses add a layer of energy and modernity, making the song uplifting and relaxing at the same time. The vibrant horn section, originally sampled from Cantaloupe Island, gives the track an infectious, uplifting energy that echoes throughout the song. This energy and enthusiasm reflects the attitude of the artist, and makes the listener feel the same way.
The vocals of Cantaloop are delivered with a sense of confidence and swagger that invites the listener to feel relaxed and at-ease, while still being fully engaged with the verses. This probably mirrors the confidence that was felt while recording.
The combination of these elements creates a song that invites you into a groovy, funky, laid-back, energetic world. This world is a product of how the musicians felt creating it—a mix of innovation, nostalgia, and love for the medium. In conclusion, Us3’s Cantaloop is great art. It immerses you in a vibrant, jazzy atmosphere, conveying exactly how the musicians felt when creating it.
I wrote this analysis of the song Us3 - Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) for English class for my senior year. I am proud of this work and thought I would post it here.