User:Nexttowndown/sandbox

Next Town Down
Next Town Down (abbreviated as NTD) is a Los Angeles based American R&B vocal group composed of Terence Thomas from Hollandale, Mississippi; Tre’von Waters from Lancaster, Virginia, Christopher Louis from Sarasota, Florida; Malik Askari Knighten from Charles City, Iowa; and Leon Outlaw Jr. from Brooklyn, New York. They formed a group after meeting each other on social media.

Career
All five members pursued music individually until Terence met Tre on social media. Terence and Tre then moved to Atlanta to pursue music as a trio with Christopher, whom they also met on social media. Terence, Tre, and Chris discovered Leon on YouTube and Malik on Instagram, and they ultimately moved to Los Angeles and formed a vocal group on February 23, 2017.

In 2017, they started posting covers on YouTube, some accompanied by choreography. They created a series on YouTube called #UCANTSINGTHAT Fridays that featured them covering songs by Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, and Bruno Mars. Their “Evolution of Boybands” video went viral on Facebook and YouTube when Steve Harvey and iHeartRadio posted it on Facebook, *NSYNC and Donnie Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block tweeted it, and Ricky Bell of New Edition/Bell Biv DeVoe instagrammed it.

In June 2017, Next Town Down performed for both Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey. In 2018, they released two singles, “Rock” and “Easy,” as well three songs, “Make it Safe,” “Kissin On,” and “Roll” as a part of the “Hidden Hills Evergreen Sessions.” Easy became a hit in the summer of 2018, enjoying strong playlisting across platforms including: Spotify's Are&Be, The Newness, Chilled R&B, and New Music Friday; Apple Music's Breaking R&B; and Amazon's Introducing R&B (Cover Photo/1st Song), Fresh R&B, and Brand New Music.

In June 2018, Next Town Down sang the National Anthem at a LA Sparks basketball game, headlined at VidCon, and performed at Juneteenth Rhythm & Ribs Festival. In September 2018, Next Town Down announced their first headline tour, with tickets available at nexttowndown.com.

Artistry
Next Town Down’s music has been compared to the great R&B vocal groups including New Edition, Boyz II Men, and Migos. They also have co-signs from Chris Brown, Jermaine Dupri, Kehlani, Nicky Jam, Normani, Will.I.Am, New Edition, Boyz II Men, *NSYNC, and New Kids on the Block.

Next Town Down are not the typical “boys next door” and aims to create a special connection with their fans through their music.

Next Town Down’s fans are known as Townies.

Members
Terence Thomas (referred to as "T") - January 27, 1996

Terence started singing at an early age. He was influenced by his two sisters, Jaleesa and Jamillia Thomas, who used to sing in the gospel choir at church. They decided to make a group and sing for youth day service. From then, Terence attended to Jackson State University and started touring singing gospel music.

Tre’von Waters (referred to as Tre') - July 14, 1996

Tre’von began singing when he was two years old. Before Next Town Down, he sang in church and participated in local talent shows to gain exposure. He graduated from Lancaster High School and attended Hampton University for one year while he wrote and engineered songs in his free time. He was also mentored by music producer Troy Taylor. While mentored under Taylor, Tre' taught himself how to vocal produce and arrange.

Christopher Louis (referred to as Chris) - September 19, 1997

Christopher began to pursue music at a young age. He auditioned on America’s Got Talent at age 12. He attended university and also toured.

Malik Askari Knighten (referred to as "Leek") - April 17, 1999

Malik taught himself how to play guitar and started singing on YouNow. Soon after, he began posting Instagram videos of himself singing and playing guitar. He was discovered by Tre’von, Terence, and Chris through Instagram.

Leon Outlaw Jr. (referred to as "Lee") - March 12, 2002 Leon started singing and dancing when he was four years old. He also grew up singing gospel music in church. At the age of 11, he made his stage debut portraying a young Michael Jackson, young Berry Gordy Jr. and young Stevie Wonder in a Broadway production of Motown: The Musical.

Music Videos

 * “Rock” 2018
 * “Easy” 2018

Tours
Next Town Down Tour (2018—present)