99 Neighbors

Lacking any permanent roster of participants, the collective 99 Neighbors drew parallels to assorted rap ensembles while swiftly distinguishing themselves upon arriving from Vermont, an identity initially displayed through the independently issued Television in 2019. Following that project, the group inked an agreement with Nice Work, a Warner Records imprint, resulting in several single releases.

The ensemble coalesced during 2018 around core contributors such as the rapper-singers Sam Paulino, who performs simply as Sam, and Hanknative, producer Caleb "Somba" Hoh, rapper Connor "Swank" Stankevich, plus DJ Jared Fier. Prior collaborations existed among certain participants, with Sam and Somba notably gaining media attention for their duo effort The South Cove, an EP that included guitar work from Julian "Juju" Segar-Reid, who would later contribute as a production associate.

Operating from a communal apartment in Burlington while growing both in membership and ambition, the group assembled and independently dropped their debut album Television on January 1, 2019. The track "Champion" from the project captured the interest of Pat Corcoran, manager for Chance the Rapper, prompting him to extend an offer via his Nice Work label, which operates under Warner support. As Nice Work's inaugural signing, 99 Neighbors proceeded to issue multiple singles throughout the remainder of 2019, beginning with "Fake Ponds" followed by "Thunder" and "19."