Jordan Montgomery has always loved to write stories. He would spend hours in local libraries, poring over books and creating stories of his own. This fascination grew into an appreciation for poetry and music during his time at Pittsburgh’s Creative and Performing Arts magnet school, where he studied Literary Arts.
As a member of local Hip Hop programs like Arts Greenhouse and 1Hood, Jordan sharpened his performance skills while learning how to navigate the music business. His storytelling soon morphed into songwriting, and he knew he wanted to pursue a career in music. More than that, he knew he wanted to uplift the voices of Black artists.
“Music has always been a key form of expression in the never-ending fight for justice,” Montgomery shares. “My goal is to show audiences how diverse the Black experience can be. Not only do we embrace the struggle, but we celebrate joy and creativity through our music.”
In 2016, Montgomery launched the Driving While Black independent record label after releasing his debut album of the same name. Driving While Black Records provides brand management, distribution, licensing, and event planning support for their artists.
“Our goal is to create an environment where our artists can organically develop their crafts while learning the ins and outs of the music industry,” Montgomery says. “We strive to consistently deliver quality content as we grow to become a label with a signature sound and an easily identifiable brand.”
Over the past five years, that brand has continued to grow, forging connections beyond music.
“The album was heavily inspired by the incidents of police brutality that sparked the Black Lives Matter movement,” Montgomery explains. “As I began promoting the album, I noticed that people were buying the Driving While Black merchandise although they had never heard my music,” he adds. “Wearing the merchandise allowed them to express how they felt as injustice toward Black people continued to happen. This made me realize that I had a brand that was bigger than one album.”
Montgomery is committed to being an advocate for other artists, using Driving While Black Records to open the door for future artists from Pittsburgh. In 2020, he heard about the Wilkinsburg-based organization Community Forge from a fellow Driving While Black artist, Livefromthecity. After having a few conversations with Mike Skirpan, Community Forge’s Executive Director and Co-Founder, he knew that joining Community Forge’s Bloom Program would help to propel his business.
“My ultimate goal is to make Driving While Black an internationally known record label,” Montgomery says, “and every member of Community Forge is deeply invested in the success of every business they work with.”
“I am constantly learning about new opportunities and ways for me to grow as an entrepreneur,” he adds. “The environment at Community Forge is welcoming and supportive. They’re a great asset to the small business community.”
It’s that sense of community that has fueled the growth of Driving While Black Records, and Montgomery’s own development as an entrepreneur.
“There are so many opportunities and so much knowledge out there that can help with the development of your business,” Montgomery says. “You have to invest in yourself, and find the right people who are willing to invest in you, too.”
“Entrepreneurship is not an easy path to take, but the reward is well worth it.”
You can read more about Peoples' partnership with Community Forge here.