R&B-oriented pop group NLT (Not Like Them) began to take shape when the then 14-year-old V was told by producer Chris Stokes -- whose group, B2K, was using V's parents' Los Angeles dance studio -- that his demo would be given a shot, as long as he was part of a group. V first sought JJ, who had worked with him on an instructional dance video (and had also, coincidentally enough, appeared in a B2K video). Dallas-based Kevin was found through an agent, and through Kevin's own agent, a theater actor named Travis was added, making the group a quartet.