Montell Jordan, performer of “This Is How We Do it” has advice for 76ers fans

Montell Jordan is best known for recording the hit “This Is How We Do it.”

And just as the song has become a staple of the NBA arena, played during time outs and commercial breaks across the country,the one-time pop sensation is just as affiliated with professional basketball himself.

“The intent was to have a stadium anthem that people could be able to party to and feel good to,” the artist said after performing at halftime during a recent Sixers game, “so I cannot say it was specifically geared towards stadiums, but I can say from the college parties that I was at, at 2 a.m. when the DJ was playing the last song of the night, ‘Slick Rick’s Children’s Story’ was always in those and I always said if I ever get a chance to sing over that track, it’s a no-brainer.”

When Jordan isn’t spending time with his family, he can be found performing at games across the country. It’s given him, as a fan himself, a fully-formed opinion on the game he loves.

A Laker fan himself, Jordan knows what Sixers fans are going through.

“I was born in Los Angeles and we’re going through a rebuilding period right now as well with a legend leaving the game,” Jordansaid of Philadelphia native Kobe Bryant,”so I understand what you guys are going through.”

Perhaps it takes someone outside of the Delaware Valley to realize that all Philly needs is a little patience.

“You’ve got some amazing talent,” Jordan said,”and so it really is staying the course and allowing the process to take place. I think you can do amazing things. This is a resilient city. So without question, if anybody can rebuild a team, Philly can do it.”

“I do think it will work,” he added.”I think fans are always frustrated about one thing or another. You can’t please everybody.”

Jordan, like many Los Angelenos, has been frustrated himself for years without an NFL team to call his own. All of that changed last week when the owners announced the Rams would return to Southern California. Jordan says it will take a little more than a relocation to sway his loyalties, though he is excited for the city.

“My loyalties are not in Los Angeles in regard to football,” Jordan said.”Basketball, yes. Football, I won’t even say who my team is.But, I will say this – I think my team football for Los Angeles is good, it’s a very good thing. The Rams coming back, I think for football its going to be great, for the city of Los Angeles, yes, but for the other franchises, it was not good, it was not a good deal for Oakland, it was not good for San Diego, but I think for the Rams, they’re moving out of St. Louis to go to Los Angeles – so the Hollywood the glitz the glamor, the big stage, the new stadium coming up – they’ll be good, so maybe it was a good move.”

Jenny DeHuff contributed to this story.