Montell Jordan has always known how to command a stage. The multi-talented singer, songwriter, and producer carved his name into music history with the timeless anthem “This Is How We Do It,” becoming one of the defining voices of ‘90s R&B. Beyond his chart-topping hits, Jordan has built a multifaceted career that spans ministry, mentorship, and storytelling, consistently using his influence to inspire and uplift.

Now, the hitmaker is making headlines for something far more personal. The 56-year-old recently revealed his ongoing battle with prostate cancer, sharing his diagnosis and treatment journey on the “Today Show” and later clarifying on TMZ that he is not yet cancer-free. 

As the newly named Global Ambassador for ZERO Prostate Cancer, he’s turning his platform into a lifeline, raising awareness around early detection and advocating for Black men, who face disproportionately higher risks. 

With his forthcoming documentary “Sustain” (targeting Spring 2026 festivals), Jordan is pulling back the curtain on his experience in real time, chronicling his fight through targeted radiation and hormone therapy while breaking stigma and opening dialogue for men everywhere.

With “This Is How We Do It" cemented as a generational anthem, he’s continued to reinvent himself across music, ministry, and now advocacy. 

Even thirty years after its release, the song continues to find new life.

“The first thing I would say is that ‘This Is How We Do It' has been customizable,” he explained. 

“From 1995 to 2025, part of its staying power is that it’s been used everywhere. That flexibility has allowed the song to meet whatever the need is, and I think that’s part of the testament to a track that started as a huge hit for my mentor Slick Rick, but became a classic because we were able to take it to the next level.”

Reinvention has been a defining theme in Jordan’s journey. From Def Jam hitmaker to pastor, ambassador, and now filmmaker, he sees a clear thread that ties each chapter together. 

“I think the common thread for me is vision. Now I’m wiser to listen to a voice that’s bigger than my own when it comes to navigating these different seasons,” he said. 

“If I were to give the world a glimpse of what vision looks like for me, my life has been broken into music, ministry, marriage, and now medical. My music impacts people’s hearts, my ministry helps save souls, my marriage preserves family legacy, and my medical helps save lives.”

When looking back on his early work, the South Central native admits he still enjoys revisiting his debut. 

“I listen to my old music a lot, I won’t even lie,” he said with a laugh. 

He described his approach to songwriting as planting hidden gems. 

“In Disney, they mention hiding Easter eggs in movies, and that’s what I did in my music. If I go back to a song like ‘Something For The Honeys,’ I said, ‘Could very well be the next Aaron Neville, sounding like nobody because I’m on another level.’ His daughter reached out at the time and said it was dope to shout out her pops on the record.”

These days, Jordan’s focus has shifted to something far more personal: his prostate cancer journey. 

As Global Ambassador for ZERO Prostate Cancer, he’s using his platform to raise awareness and spark life-saving conversations. 

RELATED: Montell Jordan Shares Cancer Has Returned Nearly a Year After Surgery

“By putting this private journey into a public space, there’s pros and cons,” he reflected. 

“Part of me being open takes away the stigma from getting tested. One of the most fulfilling things is when people come up to me and say they’re praying for me, and then share that they may be going through the same thing right now. Cancer is a coward and has to hide. It doesn’t fight fair or honorably.”

He’s been clear that his battle is still ongoing. 

“I’m continuing to get the screenings I need. Early detection is the thing that not only helped save my life, but is saving my life,” he said. 

That commitment to transparency has become the foundation for his forthcoming documentary “Sustain,” which will chronicle his journey in real time. 

“We’re documenting the entire process from diagnosis in February 2024, through surgery after surgery, and now the re-emergence of more cancer. It’s been an outlet for me to share with my family and the world what that journey looks like.”

The songwriter has a message he wants Black men, especially, to hear is urgent: early detection is everything. 

“Black men are nearly 70% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and two times more likely to die if it goes untreated,” he explained. 

“When detected early, it’s 99% treatable and 99% curable. Every man entering his 40s should demand blood work done. If you don’t try and do something about it, it will try and do something to you.”
Beyond the music and the ministry, Jordan has also learned to separate his identity from his work. 

“A lot of people, including myself, can be in abusive relationships with their jobs. We love our jobs and our jobs can’t love us back. Music can’t love me back. I’m determined that my wife, my kids, my grandchildren, friendships, family, and the church can love me back,” he said. “What I do doesn’t define who I am, but who I am defines what I do.”

And while his focus is on advocacy, Jordan still has one musical wish left on his bucket list. 

“I would love to do something with Stevie Wonder,” he said. 

“That is my untouchable top line, favorite artist and human of all time. I’ve been in spaces with him, I’ve performed with him, I’ve sung happy birthday to him, but we’ve never recorded a record together. That would be great if we could.”