*It’s been close to 20 years since Montell Jordan came on the scene with his classic hit single “This Is How We Do It.”
As the tune celebrates its 20th anniversary on February 6, the singer-turned music pastor admits that he never gets tired of performing “This Is How We Do It.” According to Jordan, his breakthrough song is one that triggers happy feelings and memories among music fans.
“‘This Is How We Do It’ is so much fun,” he told Yahoo Music‘s Billy Johnson Jr. “It would be hard to say I get tired of singing and hearing the song. It’s been a staple, a part of the soundtrack to people’s lives; people remember their 1995 graduation or wedding dance. I get to be a part of that. I love the idea that my song transcends R&B, hip-hop. It transcends color. It transcends age brackets. I would be a fool not to want to hear that song.”
Jordan’s comments on “This Is How We Do It” come amid the tune being featured during a party scene in the Lifetime’s Whitney Houston biopic, “Whitney.” The classic song is also heard in Pepsi and Buffalo Wild Wings’ new “Hyped for Halftime” campaign, which involved Jordan surprising Buffalo Wild Wings patrons with an in-restaurant performance of “This Is How We Do It.”
Although the song turned into a certified chart-topper, it’s hit-making potential went unnoticed by Def Jam Records co-founder Russell Simmons, who felt another tune was worthy of introducing Jordan to music lovers. In his eyes, the other tune would’ve been used to build up “This Is How We Do It.”
“But everybody said, ‘He’s a new artist. All the DJs are gravitating to ‘This Is How We Do It.’ And we all kinda agreed that ‘This Is How We Do It’ was our best choice,” Jordan recalled. “It was Def Jam’s first No. 1. But it did overshadow all the other songs we tried to release off that album.”
Although “This Is How We Do It” famously sampled Slick Rick’s “Children Story, Jordan mentioned that he and the legendary rapper didn’t meet until well after the song became a hit. According to Jordan, the meeting came on the set of the video for ‘I Like,” a single from his second album that also featured Slick Rick.
“He stepped into my trailer and said, ‘I love what you did for the song,’” Jordan shared about Slick Rick’s reaction to “This Is How We Do It.” “It breathed more life back into his career. He had a hit record, and I took it and made it into a classic. Twenty years later we are bringing it to Pepsi and Buffalo Wild Wings. It shows how some songs transcend time.”
To see the Pepsi Halftime (This is How we Do it) surprise at Buffalo Wild Wings ad featuring Jordan, check out the video below:
For more of Jordan’s chat with Yahoo on “This Is How We Do It,” click here.
