About Cantaloupe Island

"Cantaloupe Island" is a jazz standard composed by Herbie Hancock and recorded for his 1964 album Empyrean Isles during his early years as one of the members of Miles Davis' 1960s quintet. The musicians for the original 1964 recording were: Hancock (piano), Freddie Hubbard (cornet), Ron Carter (bass) and Tony Williams (drums).

The jazz rap group Us3 sampled "Cantaloupe Island" in their song "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)", from their album Hand On the Torch (1993). "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" was recorded as a demo a year before the group's first release. but in the US, "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" reached, No. 21 on the R&B Single Sales chart No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group's only top 40 single. It did not chart initially in their native UK, but after its US success, it was subsequently re-released in UK where it peaked at No. 23. "Cantaloop" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 25, 1994 for selling over 500,000 copies. This version of "Cantaloupe Island" has been made numerous appearances in other media.