Etc. (album)

Etc. is the debut studio album by American jazz fusion band US3, released on January 23, 1995, on Blue Note Records. The album followed the group's successful 1993 debut, Hand on the Torch, which prominently sampled jazz classics. Etc. continues in a similar vein, blending live jazz instrumentation with hip-hop beats and rapping. It features rappers Rahsaan Kelly and Kobie Powell, alongside the core US3 trio of Geoff Wilkinson, Mel Simpson, and Ed Piller. The album's title is a shortened version of "Et Cetera," indicating the wide range of musical influences and styles incorporated. Key tracks include "Questions," which addresses social and political issues, and "Believe in Life," which is more optimistic in tone. Etc. received generally positive reviews, although some critics felt it didn't quite reach the heights of its predecessor. It charted on the Billboard 200, reaching number 78.