Montell Jordan Was Meant to Be on Da Brat's "What'chu Like" Featuring Tyrese—But He Missed Jermaine Dupri's Call

In the world of music, timing is everything—and for Montell Jordan, one missed call changed the course of two major singles. According to behind-the-scenes revelations, Jordan was originally supposed to be the featured vocalist on Da Brat’s 2000 hit “What’chu Like” instead of Tyrese, but he missed a crucial phone call from producer Jermaine Dupri. As a result, the opportunity slipped through his fingers.

Both “What’chu Like” and Montell’s own single “Get It On Tonite” were released within six months of each other, and interestingly, both sampled Claudja Barry’s 1976 track “Love for the Sake of Love.”

Though Tyrese ultimately lent his vocals to Da Brat’s track, Montell Jordan still came out on top in terms of chart success. His smooth and seductive “Get It On Tonite” soared to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and moved over 800,000 copies in the U.S. by the end of 2000. Da Brat’s “What’chu Like,” while popular, peaked at #26 on the same chart.

The near-collaboration has become a fascinating “what if” in R&B and hip-hop history—two songs with the same sample, dropped within months, nearly shared the same feature. Still, Montell’s missed call turned into a major win, as “Get It On Tonite” remains one of his signature hits and a defining anthem of late '90s and early 2000s R&B.

Sometimes, a missed call is just fate redirecting you toward your own chart-topping moment.