99 NEIGHBORS
99 Neighbors is an American hip-hop band that originates from Burlington, Vermont. It consists of seven talented members who formed the band in 2018 at two of the member’s apartments. The members include Hank "HANKNATIVE" Collins, Sam Paulino, Connor "Swank" Stankevich, Julian "Juju" Segar-Reid, Jared Fier, Caleb "Somba" Hoh, and Aidan Ostby.
All of these members have different roles as they all work together to rap, sing, and produce music. Except for Jared Fier, from Newton, Massachusetts, all the members are originally from Vermont, where they were born and raised. They are all between the ages of 21 and 25. In many ways, they hail from all different backgrounds as the group is a mix of Asian, Latin, Black, and White.
Initially, when they began producing music, they all lived in the same house in the Remote Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Now, they live together in Nashville, contributing to the booming music scene there.
All band members come from various musical backgrounds, which is why they all have different perspectives when creating music together. However, it is these differences they use that allow them to form a combined approach towards creating sounds that are entirely unique. The best way to describe their music is as an amalgamation of hip hop, R&B, rock, and jazz.
Their frontman, Connor "Swank" Stankevich, says, “We all kind of bring our own story to each song or each beat.” And with this approach, they ended up creating their catchy and electrifying new album, “Wherever You’re Going I Hope It’s Great.” It articulately blends various genres into one, including R&B, pop, and hip hop.
The title of the album resonates with the fundamental aim of 99 Neighbors: you should always do what you like to do and not base all of your actions on only achieving success. This is what they had been doing ever since they began producing music. It was never about reaching fame and success, but rather doing what brings them pleasure and happiness.
However, the band indeed rose to fame after their first debut album, "Television,” which was released in 2019. Their album caught the attention of Pat Corcoran, who is the former manager of Chance the Rapper. He signed the band on to his Warner Records subsidiary label, Nice Work. Since then, they have released numerous singles that have topped various charts. Some of their most notable songs include “Fake Pods,” “Ripstock,” and “F*ck No.”
Before being signed up, the group made music in their apartment. Now, they are working for a major record company. This led them to be under tremendous pressure to meet the label's standards. But with the new album finally out, the group states that they are not after massive fame and money. 99 Neighbors state that they simply want to stay grounded, happy, and healthy.
Indeed, 99 Neighbors are redefining what it means to be a hip-hop collective. It is clear that while they don’t chase success and fame, they will ultimately achieve it through their unique music.
