Montell Jordan This Is How We Do It Turns 30

Let’s go back to 1995 and one of the biggest hits came from Montell Jordan. This is How We Do It was a smash hit and would become an all-time classic. The album, This is How We Do It turns 30 years old today. This was the debut album from Montell Jordan, and it went platinum off the strength of the self-titled single. The album peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 and No. 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The first single, This is How We Do It was released about a couple of months before the album. The single was Def Jam’s first R&B release and is Jordan’s signature song. The song is a tribute to South Central Los Angeles party culture in the hip hop soul style popular at the time.

The song earned Jordan a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards. The same year, the song was named Best R&B 12-inch at the International Dance Music Awards in Miami. As mentioned, This is How We Do It is an all-time classic that’s been featured in commercials and movies. It was nominated for two awards at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards, in the categories for Best Dance Video and Best R&B Video. Remastered in HD, the video has generated more than 194 million views on YouTube as of February 2025. The single went on to sell over five million copies. Somethin’ 4 da Honeyz was the second single released from the album. Somethin’ 4 Da Honeyz was released at the end of July of 1995. It peaked at number 21, and it was certified gold.

Despite not being as popular as the first single, this was another dope record from Montell Jordan. This is How We Do It sold over a million copies. This was a good album and it’s one of those projects that’s gotten better with time. Check out my top five tracks from the album below. After that, check out the track listing and stream link for the album.

Top 5 Tracks: This is How We Do It, Somethin’ 4 Da Honeyz, Daddy’s Home, Payback, and I Wanna