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Jordan Montgomery
JORDAN MONTGOMERY STAYS ON MESSAGE WITH NEW SINGLES Jordan Montgomery (Current Photo by Jake Mysliwczyk)
BY CHARLIE DEITCH - PITTSBURGH CURRENT EDITOR CHARLIE@PITTSBURGHCURRENT.COM
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There’s a theme to the new re- cord, Thank You 4 Ur Purchase But We R Not For $ale that hiphop artist Jordan Montgomery is dropping on June 30.
“In this country, black art is more celebrated than black life,” Montgomery told the Pittsburgh Current on May 4. “Hip hop is the most popular genre of music in the world, yet we as a com- munity are still out there fight- ing for basic civil rights. There’s an investment in our culture and our music because it can make a profit. But, there’s no investment in our communities and our quality of life.”
In advance of that record, Montgomery released two singles on May 1, Exclusive and Not 4 Sale. Musically, the two songs show off Montgomery’s ability to perform in different styles. Exclusive is more of a traditional, R&B-driven track, while Not For Sale has an edgier, trap vibe. Montgomery is comfortable with both sounds and at the end of the day, it’s the message he lays down over the music that is most important.
“I try to find a good balance of both,” Montgomery says. “Musically, I like to keep myself open. The lyrics and the track need to have good chemistry. But, honestly, I can rap over any type of sound. The important thing is to have something to say.”
Like most people, time in quarantine has been tough on Montgomery and his label, Driving While Black Records. With a new record dropping in a month, he would normally be performing and lining up gigs for that all-important summer touring season. But all of that is on hold since no one is exactly sure when the pandemic-related restrictions will be lifted.
“Myself and artists on my label, we’ve all taken a hit financially,” Montgomery says. “But it’s also forcing us to be a lot more creative through virtual events and taking advantage of those Bandcamp Fridays events. As a label, we’ve doing Insta- gram live and giving some items away. Anything to keep in touch with the public.
“We do look forward to the time we can personally interact with people in person. But we’re making the best out of it.”
