The song is exemplary of the hip hop soul style popular at the time.[2][4] It features Jordan singing over an enhanced Teddy Riley drumbeat sample of Slick Rick's "Children's Story" which in turn has an added interpolation of the bass of Bob James' "Nautilus".[3] "This Is How We Do It" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 15, 1995, rising from number six the previous week and displacing Madonna's "Take a Bow" from the top spot. It remained at number one for seven consecutive weeks. It was also number one for seven weeks on the R&B singles chart.[6] The single sold one million copies domestically and received platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[7][8] The accompanying music video for "This Is How We Do It" was directed by Hype Williams.[9][10]
Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel found that the track "combines enough elements to make for an unavoidable crossover hit, as Jordan's lilting voice meshes with "phat" beats, an incessant title refrain and a sample of rapper Slick Rick's 'Children's Story'."[12] Connie Johnson from Los Angeles Times felt the American R&B crooner and songwriter "has a youthful bravado", describing the song as "hard-slammin’".[13]Simon Price from Melody Maker viewed it as "Bobby Brown grooves with Snoop Dogg rhymes".[14] Another Melody Maker editor, David Stubbs, noted its "auto-pilot, fast-buck, anthemic swingbeat with the usual ring-a-ring-a-roses singalong chant and laboured partytime chorus."[15]Dele Fadele from NME praised it as "anthemic, defiant, and catchy".[16] Ralph Tee from Music Week's RM Dance Update wrote, "This record is typical of everything that urban contemporary soul is about with its chugging swing/funk rhythms and intense Aaron Hall-style vocal and it's been flying out on import lately. Its main appeal is the infectious multi-vocal chorus, blasting out the song's title to ram home its anthemic qualities." He remarked that "there's masses of dancefloor appeal".[17] Another RM editor, James Hamilton, described it as a "soulfully whined, chanted and rapped rolling jackswing joller".[18]Spex included "This Is How We Do It" in their "The Best Singles of the Century" list in 1999.[19]
Music video
The music video for the song was directed by American music video and film director Hype Williams.[9][10] The video opens at a house party with people mingling. Jordan sings and dances at the party, with back dancers on a sound stage, and later sitting in a booth with a woman. 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.[10] Remastered in HD, the video has generated more than 176 million views on YouTube as of January 2023.[20]
In 2002, British girl group Mis-Teeq released their version as a double A-side with "Roll On". It peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart,[62] faring four places better than the original. The original by Jordan was featured in the 2002 film Ali G Indahouse, along with the Rishi Rich mix of Mis-Teeq's version, which is also on the film's soundtrack. "This Is How We Do It" is included on the special edition of the album Lickin' on Both Sides.
^"Vibe". Vibe Vixen. January 2002. p. 124. ISSN 1070-4701.
^ a bGardner, Elysa (1999). "Hip-Hop Soul". In Light, Alan (ed.). The Vibe History of Hip-Hop (1st ed.). Three Rivers Press. pp. 307–317.
^ a bErnest Baker; Alysa Lechner; David Drake; Insanul Ahmed; Tannis Spencer (March 19, 2013). "The 50 Best R&B Songs That Flipped Rap Beats". Complex. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
^ a bReynolds, J.R. (June 3, 1995). "Is Hip-Hop's Growing Dominance of R&B an Evolutionary Step, Or Is It Displacing Traditional Soul Music Altogether?". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 22. p. 2.
^"The 53 Best R&B Songs of the '90s". Pitchfork. November 3, 2022.
^Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 310.
^"Best-Selling Records of 1995". Billboard Communications. Vol. 108, no. 3. January 20, 1996. p. 56. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
^ a b"This Is How We Do It (1995) by Montell Jordan". IMVDb. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
^ a b c"Montell Jordan: This Is How We Do It". IMDb. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
^"Euro-focused Miami Gets Thumbs Up" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). March 30, 1996. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
^Campbell, Chuck (April 14, 1995). "Collective Soul Priming To Be More Than Opener". Knoxville News Sentinel.
^Johnson, Connie (April 16, 1995). "In Brief". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
^Fadele, Dele (April 29, 1995). "Long Play". NME. p. 40. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
^Tee, Ralph (February 18, 1995). "Hot Vinyl" (PDF). Music Week. p. 10. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
^Hamilton, James (May 13, 1995). "Dj directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 11. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
^"Die besten Singles aller Zeiten at home.rhein-zeitung.de". Archived from the original on July 6, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
^"Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It". YouTube. June 17, 2009. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
^"The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). May 6, 1995. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
^"The RM on a Pop Tip Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). May 27, 1995. p. 12. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
^"Montell Jordan Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
^"Montell Jordan Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
^"Montell Jordan Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
^"Montell Jordan Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard.
^* Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
^"RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1995". RPM. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
^"Canada Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1995". Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
^"Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1995". Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
^"End of Year Charts 1995". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
^"Billboard Top 100 - 1995". Archived from the original on August 15, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
^"Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
^Lwin, Nanda. "Top 100 singles of the 1990s". Jam!. Archived from the original on August 29, 2000. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
^Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
^"British single certifications – Montell Jordan – This Is How We Do It". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
^"Best-Selling Records of 1995". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 3. January 20, 1996. p. 56. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
^"ジス・イズ・ハウ・ウイ・ドゥ・イット | モンテル・ジョーダン" [This Is How We Do It | Montell Jordan] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
^"New Releases: Singles". Music Week. April 29, 1995. p. 39.
^"New Releases – For Week Starting 17 June 2002: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. June 15, 2002. p. 31. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
^"Reviews: Single Reviews" (PDF). Music Week. June 8, 2002. p. 11. Retrieved June 25, 2022. The latest cut sees the Mis-Teeq girls moving away from garage to serve up a perfect slice of summery R&B pop.
^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 33, 2002" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
^"Mis-Teeq – Roll On / This Is How We Do It" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
^"Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
^"The Party (This Is How We Do It) ft. Montell Jordan from SPINNIN' RECORDS on Beatport". www.beatport.com. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
^"Irish-charts.com – Discography Joe Stone". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
^"Joe Stone Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
^"The Party (This Is How We Do It) [feat. Montell Jordan] - Single by Joe Stone". Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2019 – via itunes.apple.com.