Fort Worth’s 2BYG Wants the Spotlight Back on Male R&B Groups

The rising teenage R&B boy band 2BYG from Dallas-Fort Worth has limitless potential with their music right now.

The group’s name, which stands for “to be young and gifted,” includes members Matt Brown, Tourè, Nixx and KD. This year has been monumental for them following the release of their three singles — “Karma,” “Anything” and “Twin” — ahead of their debut project, The Yearbook, which dropped on Nov. 7. The bandmates spoke about their nine-track EP with the Observer, diving into their career goals and what it means to them to be supported by their hometown.

The group began with friends Brown, Tourè and Nixx, before bringing KD into the fold in 2022. Since expanding from a trio to a quartet, they have grown their fan base on social media, amassing 1.1 million followers on TikTok organically by singing covers of artists such as Mariah Carey, Chrisette Michele, H.E.R. and Bell Biv Devoe, among others, to showcase their vocal range and harmonization skills. 

After releasing “Karma” in April, which gives classic ’90s vibes, they generated more buzz. 

“That was the goal overall, showing people that we are bringing that feeling—the same nostalgic feeling of the ’90s R&B groups and boy groups everybody [has] been missing,” Brown said about the single written by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Talay Riley. “So, overall, the feedback has been great with the music video, dance moves, all that. It was very intentional, so we’re very happy with this response.”

Going viral opened doors, but the bigger goal is shifting from TikTok fame to being recognized as real-deal singers.

“When people know us, but they don’t really know we got music out, they just know us as TikTokers,” Tourè expressed. “And that’s something that’s humbling me personally, because that’s a big transition for us as a group. Not just being TikTokers, but being taken seriously as artists, the next big R&B group.”

Most Likely to Make It in R&B

Catching the music industry’s attention, they landed a deal with Def Jam in September. The following month, they hit the road for their regional The Yearbook Tour that kicked off in Little Elm on Oct. 4, hitting high schools and Dallas spots like Puzzles Deep Ellum and Headquarters at the end of November. For them, love from their own backyard means more than being embraced anywhere else.

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“You see when Beyoncé goes to Houston, it’s gonna be insane. You see Drake go to Toronto, it’s gonna be insane. You see Kendrick in L.A., it’s gonna be insane,” Brown said about performing at the Deep Ellum Block Party. “When it comes to having a hometown really supporting you, that’s unmatched. You need that real, real bad for sure.”

“I think it’s very important for us to have a homebase and people to return to that are ride or die fans. Like, we know that if we go out here, it’s never going to be like home,” KD echoed.

The group’s new EP is an introduction to what fans can expect from them as they continue to evolve, noting that they’re also genuine stewards of music and grateful to the artists who paved the way for them.

“It’s more of an introduction to get to know us and what we want to be because we all study music. So, when we go and study artists, we love to go to that first album all the way to the end to see the growth of them personally and musically,” Brown said. We know that we’re great, but we want everybody else to understand that. Like maybe you don’t need a telescope if you’re looking for a star, because, I mean, we’re right here. But sometimes people don’t realize that the stars are right in your face.”

He continued, “So, just allowing them to really see that we’re not the one hit wonders or anything of that sort, but we’re really dedicated to our music and to our craft.”

Inside the booth, the group treats vocals like casting, deciding who carries which line and how the harmonies lock.

“We don’t all sound alike, but we do have similar tones. Like, even a person who’s mixed in a project thought it was just one person singing all the songs, but just because they don’t know our voices yet,” Tourè said. “In reality, you have certain people who can deliver things the best or bring to life the best. And it’s really all based on preference, to be honest.” 

“And to second that. What [band member] will be able to really bring to life when it comes to video is another thing. Live performance, like, what would they do? What would that person shine the best doing because we’re all capable of recording each part?” KD added. “It’s just a matter of, like, you said, like, who’s gonna bring it out the best on all. All levels, not just vocally.”

When it came to recording their first project, they found the process to be smooth rather than challenging. 

“We love the music, love recording challenges. We love challenges so much that the challenges don’t even seem like a challenge anymore. So, I don’t think we got that song just yet. I’m sure at some point down the line, it may be a song like, ‘Oh, Lord, this is tough,'” Brown said. “Most of these songs that we did on here, we just either created with them and cut them, or they were brought to us and we just cut them.” 

Young & Gifted

KD admitted that an unreleased track titled “I Want You” didn’t make it on The Yearbook, but he hopes it is included on a deluxe edition if the opportunity arises. It wasn’t a walk in the park for him. 

“It was a lot of work put into that one for me personally,” KD said about welcoming the challenge, which pushed him as a musician. “I would say that that was the one that probably gave me the most challenge, and I really had to step up in order to actually complete the song to give it what it needed in order for it to be good.”

On the journey to fame and fortune, they’re still adjusting to being recognized by fans.

“From singing in the restrooms and getting recognition at school to now, you go different places, and now you like, ‘Man, I gotta dress up today because I don’t know who I’m gonna see, [or] who I’m gonna run into.’ Somebody might want to take a picture somewhere. It’s an amazing feeling. And then for them to love the music just as much as we do or more. It’s a great experience,” Brown said.

KD expressed how healthy competition is positive in ensuring they each continue to level up. 

“I was gonna say, of course, with us being a brotherhood, we believe that iron sharpens iron. Although that is the case, we are all very competitive,” he said about fans’ comments. “So, when there are supporters and fans that come up and they’re like, ‘Oh, no. You [are] the best singer!’ I feel like those are the times where it’s like, you know what? I got to work. I got to put in work in order to not only just help myself, but to help the group as a whole. And I feel like that all comes together and it builds us all up.”

Remaining “quality guys” who put out “quality music,” holding each other accountable while transitioning into stardom, is important to them.

“Whenever it’s like an entire squad of real individuals, it’s gonna be real hard to change up unless it’s changing for the better,” Tourè explained.

“We know who we were when we started it, you know? We were here before the label. Like, it was us alone trying to make this happen,” KD weighed in with a comment. “And so we also all have basically the same moral code.”

Nixx closed out our interview, ensuring that music fans, whether familiar with them or not, keep their ears and eyes open because they’re entering the music industry as a force.

“Man, 2BYG the entity, you know? We coming. We’re on the train, man. And that train is going very, very fast. So, just expect the train coming,” he said enthusiastically.

Deep Ellum Block Party 2025 will take place on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 3 p.m. in Deep Ellum. Tickets are free and you can RSVP on Prekindle.com.