A Brotherhood To Success With Next Town Down
Piled on top of a red couch in the YouTube Space Green Room in Los Angeles, the five members of the music group Next Town Down begin to sing “Weak” by the ’90’s R&B group, SWV. It doesn’t take long until they flow into the groove of their harmony.
The song was recorded in 1992 before any of them were born.
The music group, Next to Town Down, at the YouTube Space in Los Angeles. From left to right on the sofa seat are Terence Thomas, 25; Malik Knighten, 20; and Tre’ Von Waters, 23. Sitting on top of the backrest are Chris Louis, 22; and Leon Outlaw Jr., 17.
It was a few days before Super Bowl LI in 2018. Next Town Down joined another all-male vocal group, The Filharmonic, at the studio to film a medley to honor Justin Timberlake, that year’s Halftime performer.
During an exclusive interview with WeXL, the young men from Next Town Down explained the critical role music plays in their present lives and their future.
“If it wasn’t for music, I don’t know what I’d be doing,” said Terence. “In my small town, there’s nothing there but poverty… Music, like, saved me. It blocked out all of the distractions.”
Their love for music apparent; the guys often acknowledged how much making music keeps them focused on their purpose in life, even when they feel out of place.
“I know for me personally; it’s just an outlet like growing up, being called different. Music gave me the opportunity to actually be different and be proud of it,” Tre’ Von said.
“Are you different with this bottle on your head?” Chris said to Tre’ Von and cleared out the momentary seriousness
Their brotherly bond developed quickly in less than a year as “Next Town Down.” The necessary hard work and effort is a lot more fun when they go through the struggle together.
“Let’s say it, though,” said Chris. “Let’s say it because we’re not running from it. We’re black men, young black men that are doing music, and we’re prepared to work 50 times harder for, you know, half the results. So we’re ready to do that, and we’re ready to work harder than anyone to get 100% more.”
In the large dark studio at the YouTube Space, the two groups self-directed themselves as they sang over a recorded version of the medley, composed by VJ Rosales from The Filharmonic. It’s a challenging piece, and sometimes the guys missed the lyrics of the mashup. They kept working on it until they nailed a take. It’s a testament to how much time and effort YouTube creators put into their work.
“I don’t think it’s the time of big machines or labels,” said Chris back in the green room. The group cites “Khalid” and “SZA” as two artists who “are making platinum records in their bedroom.”
They talked about “DIY pioneers” -- how people worldwide have the opportunity to make music fueled by the love of it.
They’ve covered songs in multiple languages like Korean, as seen in their BTS Medley released a couple of weeks after our interview with them. Next Town Down’s multicultural tribute was well-received by the YouTube channel Asians Down Under, who reacted to it in this video.
“Music, for me -- it was a way to just connect with other people that I didn’t know and that I know, and it helped me branch out and meet new people,” said Malik. Two years later, the collaborations continue among these young YouTube artists.
While technology platforms like YouTube allow these young self-made stars to come together across the globe and collaborate, music continues to be the glue that binds them.
“Like in the Motown days, music brought black and white people together,” said Leon, the youngest of Next Town Down.