Montell Jordan announced as Alcorn State’s Commencement speaker
May 03 2024 - 2:25PM
Alcorn State University announces Grammy Award-winning artist
Montell Jordan as its Spring 2024 Commencement speaker. Two
ceremonies will be held on Saturday, May 11, in the Davey L.
Whitney HPER Complex. The first ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. and
honor graduates from the Golden Class of 1974, College of
Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Graduate Studies, and the School
of Nursing. The second ceremony will start at 1 p.m. and include
graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences, School of
Business, and School of Education and Psychology.
Nearly 400 graduates will receive associate’s, bachelor’s,
master’s, or doctorate degrees.
“Montell Jordan’s remarkable journey as a musical artist and now
pastor is a testament of perseverance and commitment,” said
Dr. Tracy M. Cook, president. “These are key attributes our
graduates will need along their journey. We look forward to
welcoming Mr. Jordan back to the Alcorn campus as he provides
words of encouragement to our graduates.”
Montell Jordan is an author, pastor, Grammy
Award-winning artist, and recipient of the 2023 Presidential
Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 1995, along with artists such as Coolio, TLC, and
Madonna, Montell Jordan’s breakout hit “This Is How We Do
It” was a chart-topping success, reaching No. 1 on the
Billboard Hot 100 Top Ten Singles for seven weeks and the R&B
charts for eight. Over his nearly twenty-year music career, he
produced seven studio albums and 14 singles, ultimately selling
over 10 million records worldwide.
As a student at Pepperdine University in
Malibu, Montell was set to attend law school when a
professor told him his biggest regret was missing his chance to
pursue music. Montell realized, in a flash, that if
he was ever going to get a chance to pursue music on the
level he wanted, he had to move forward with his dream. He
recorded a demo tape that made its way to Def Jam Records Founder
Russell Simmons. “This Is How We Do It” took off, and the
first of many number one records was created.
Montell began to realize the difference between his gift
and calling. He was gifted as a musician, but he was called to
minister. Speaking, teaching, mentoring, counseling, and
writing are ways Jordan fulfills his ministry
purpose today. After serving as an executive pastor for
Victory Church in Norcross, Ga., for nearly a decade, he now has a
marriage ministry with his wife, Kristin, where they assist public
marriages to heal in private. Their ministry,
Marriage Masterpeace, is a 501c3. Montell and
Kristin also pastor a virtual church called Master Peace Church
that launched November 6, 2022, and streams live every Sunday
at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. EST.
Montell has written two books – “Becoming
Unfamous” which is his autobiography, and “This Is How We
Do It! Making Your Marriage A Masterpeace” which he
co-authored with his wife, Kristin. Throughout his musical
career, Montell had already shown an ability to stretch
boundaries of genre and style and uses this same ability to
influence, impact, and inspire today. Montell brings the
word of God and personal experience from the music business to
provide a practical and applicable understanding of music and
worship to light. He still performs on world tours and
loves to bring the love of Christ outside the four
walls of the church to concert venues all over the
world. Montell is a Champion Ambassador for Special
Olympics North America and a public speaker on topics related
to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
For more information about the Spring 2024 Commencement
ceremonies, please visit alcorn.edu/commencement/.
Maxine Greenleaf
Alcorn State University
6018773900
mgreenleaf@alcorn.edu