by Andy Kellman
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. Stokes signed the group to his Geffen-distributed TUG Entertainment label and enlisted longtime affiliate Marques Houston, as well as Troy "Treezah" Johnson, Timbaland, and the Underdogs, to collaborate on songs for the first album. Not Like Them was set for release during the summer of 2007, prefaced with the single "That Girl."