Montell Du'Sean Barnett Jordan, the R&B soul sensation known internationally as a 'Sex Symbol', is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. He was born on the 3rd December 1968 in Los Angeles. One of Montell's biggest characteristics is his height; he is about 6ft 7 but surprisingly, not a sportsman. Jordan's star sign is a Sagittarius and he is also a devout Christian.

In 2010, Montell left the music industry and became a pastor, joining the Victory World Church in Georgia. Fans will remember him for This Is How We Do It and Get It On Tonight, released in 1995. He was the second R&B artist to sign with the label Def Jam, which kicked off his career. Montell Jordan is a millennial music legend, who's catchy tunes remain club classics even today.

Early Life

Montell Jordan went to the Junipero Serra High School in California, and he also achieved a bachelor's degree in Communications from Pepperdine University in Malibu. Jordan was born into a Baptist family and went to church every Sunday as a kid; however he had always shown musical talent from an early age, playing the piano and singing with his church group.

In 1996, Montell Jordan faced a near-death experience, which he later described as a "modern-day miracle". When he opened for Boyz II Men in Vancouver, he fell off a 7ft stage and hit his head after a staged flare fired, which he wasn't prepared for. Thankfully, Montell didn't sustain any injuries or long-term damage.

Relationship Status

Montell married Kristin Hudson in June, 1994. Kristin was actually Montell's manager, and the couple embarked together on their music journey. The pair have four children and have chosen to keep this part of their life private. As a tribute to his early days, Montell Jordan and Kristin co-authored their first book: This Is How We Do It! Making Your Marriage A Masterpeace. It was published in 2017, which eloquently and openly discusses the challenges of married life (especially in the music business), having a family, and making it work.

The Birth of his Career

After Jordan graduated, he worked at Williams Television Time in the infomercials department. However, this was a stop-gap, and Jordan was still keen on pursuing a career as an artist. So he arranged a performance and invited co-workers to watch him. By some stroke of luck, Janet Jackson and Shanice Wilson turned up. And so fate would have it, Jordan distributed his mixtape, met the record producer, Russell Simmons, and as a result signed with the label Def Jam.

Montell Jordan made his debut as a primary male solo artist and released 5 studio albums. The hit song This Is How We Do It, reached No.1 in the Billboard Charts for seven consecutive weeks, overthrowing the Queen of Pop (Madonna) and her song Take A Bow.

Jordan later split with Def Soul, due to "artistic differences". It was then discovered that the artist was uncomfortable with his image and wanted to be seen as a more respectable musician. Subsequently, he went solo as a record producer, releasing a tongue-in-cheek album Life After Def.

Montell Jordan's Success

Montell's two major songs made him an incredibly successful artist. The popularity of This Is How We Do It meant that his first album went platinum, with over a million copies sold worldwide. Similarly, the jammy and sensual single Get It On Tonite – which was sampled from Claudja Barry's 1976 single "Love for the Sake of Love" – also reached No.1 in the charts.

But the singer didn't stop there; in the coming years, Montell Jordan went on to release Somethin' 4 da Honeyz (reaching No.21 on the Billboards), along with Let's Ride, Master P, Silkk the Shocker and I Like. As well as writing his own music, Jordan also collaborated with several other artists, including Christina Milan, 98 Degrees, Sisqo and Deborah Cox.

Awards and Nominations

Montell is sometimes referred to as a "one-hit wonder" but the success of his later singles say otherwise. In fact, according to Forbes, the singer's net worth is around $500,000. Furthermore, This Is How We Do It was were nominated for Best Dance Video and Best Music Video at the VMA's. Not to mention, Montell Jordan was also nominated for a prestigious Grammy award for Best R&B/Soul Single.

From Rapper to Pastor at Victory World Church

Despite Montell's massive success as an artist, the R&B star decided it was time to quit. In 2008 he performed his last single and re-joined the church as a "born-again Christian". He moved to Georgia, where he lives with his family, and worships alongside his church team, Victory World Music.

Jordan confessed that he had cheated on his wife, Kristin, which also drove his decision to leave the music industry. Jordan has spoken out about his infidelity, stating that "[he] was told by God to quit the music industry". At one point he was planning to release a comeback album with the church, but instead, Jordan released a Christian album featuring the song "Shake Heaven" with American Christian-pop-worship singer, Beckah Shae.

TV Appearances

Montell Jordan has regularly performed on talk shows and popular series like American Idol, The Late Late Show and more. In 2019, he was a guest on Tamron Hall's Throwback Show, surprising fans with a new album release, The Masterpiece, which was released in November later that year. Starring as himself, Montell also appeared in The Nutty Professor (1996), The Fighting Temptations (2003), and The List (2015).

Where is Montell Jordan Now?

In 2012, rumours went viral that Montell Jordan had died. Contrary to the internet hoax, he is alive and thriving. He regularly performs in tribute acts and appears on podcasts. Now that the American pastor has refound his faith, Jordan also preaches at his local church. He is a huge personality on Twitter, regularly posting life updates and motivational messages.… show more