For singer Montell Jordan, his 1995 hit “This Is How We Do It” is the gift that keeps on giving.
The classic R&B party track continues to deliver substancial royalties to the artist.
“I have kids in college, and ‘This Is How We Do It’ provides mailbox money,” the R&B star, 53, tells Page Six. “That’s the gift that keeps on giving.”
It’s a “cool thing” to have left behind a “legacy” that “generations can enjoy,” he adds.
Financial Ups and Downs
Throughout his 31-year-career, the father of four has amassed a net worth of $500,000. Jordan, 53, has had his share of financial woes. In 2012, he owned the IRS $627,000 in back taxes, which were allegedly unpaid during a period between 1999 and 2001.
In a statement released in 2012 to TMZ, Jordan addressed the tax debt saying he he had made “unwise spending decision” and had poor financial counsel. He also told X that he filed bankruptcy. Jordan says he sold some of music catalog for more than $500,000, which was sent to the IRS. He later negotiated a repayment for the rest.
Music Career
When Jordan dropped “This Is How We Do It,” it went to No. 1 record on the charts and remained there for seven consecutive weeks. His debut album of the same name sold over a million copies and achieved platinum status.
Today, the single is considered one of the “top 100 party songs of the last century.”
The track has been used on several TV commercials, movies, and ads.
“I’m just grateful to have been a part of a great song that can live on long after me,” he tells us, adding that he embraces that his song has become a weekend staple.
“I want to make sure that a Friday night doesn’t come around and people don’t think of that song. When you hear ‘It’s Friday night,’ I want that to be forever something that they hear when Friday rolls around every single week.”
Jordan performed the iconic party track recently on “The Masked Singer” after he was eliminated from the singing competition show.
“I felt like I had to put the mask on for people to see who I really am, because people think, ‘Oh, you’re that “This Is How We Do It” guy. You’re the guy that sings the party song,’ and they don’t know that I’m also a jazz guy, and they don’t know that I’m a classical guy, and then I’m a country guy, and I’m a rock guy.”
He concludes, “They don’t know any of that about me until I put the mask on, and that was kind of my outlet for people to see that.”
Post-Music
In 2010, Jordan left the music business to become the worship leader at Victory World Church in Norcross, Georgia.
But Jordan didn’t leave music totally. In 2011, he dropped the gospel tracks — “Ahake Heaven” and “You Are” though Victory World Music.
