Next

The story of the trio Next follows the trajectory of many memorable R&B groups of the last half century, but the scope and speed of the group’s rise and, ultimately, its fall, is more shocking than most.

Formed by brothers Terry “T-Low” Brown and Raphael “Tweet” Brown, along with R.L. Hugger, Next was formed in the Minneapolis area as a trio that had both songwriting chops and incredible vocal harmony. But all three members came to the group with their personal childhood demons: the Brown brothers coming from a family beset by physical and sexual abuse, and Hugger from one where he battled depression in a household that didn’t support his love of music.

But despite some personal baggage, the three members were special together, and were signed by legendary music exec Clive Davis for his Arista label, with iconic singer Ann Nesby helping them to polish their sound and professionalism. Next’s debut album, Rated Next, was a monster, landing three hit singles, including the Grammy winning, across-the-board #1 hit, “Too Close.” It catapulted the album to double platinum, and the group to the A-List of R&B stars.

From the start, Next had internal troubles, in part due to the composition of two brothers and one non-brother. After the debut album, RL began working with other artists, and scored a #1 hit duet with Deborah Cox, “We Can’t Be Friends,” that served to fray group unity. However, Next was still a hot property, and the first single from their second album, “Wifey,” became yet another #1 hit.

Tthe departure of Clive Davis from Arista and the group’s move with him to J Records proved to be a career-busting change, and the associated album Welcome II Nextasy stalled. Davis then signed RL as a solo artist in between Next albums, but his debut disc flopped, as did the group’s follow up album. Success has a way of masking wounds, but the failure exacerbates problem, and by 2004, Next was no more.

Next reunited briefly in 2011, but money disputes scuttled the reunion before new music was recorded. After that, the Brown brothers continued on using the Next moniker, while Hugger continued recording solo and working with other artists. A biography of the group on TV One’s Unsung led to another reunion in 2016, and Next issued the single “Want It” in 2018 before Hugger again left the group. The two man version of Next continues to tour.

By Chris Rizik

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