When Burlington’s 99 Neighbors called it quits in 2023, it felt like the end of a specific era in Vermont hip-hop. Though the collective only existed for five years, its success — including signing to Warner Records in 2019 with Chance the Rapper’s manager — put down a marker for Green Mountain rap.
But the group’s experience on a major label was a rough ride, and the band felt pressured to sound like something it wasn’t. Founding member Sam Paulino, aka maari, bemoaned how the label wanted to make 99 Neighbors into a “boy band.”
When members of the group went their separate ways, there was a sense of finality to the split. Paulino, 29, even included a scene of him blowing out a “99” candle on a birthday cake in the music video for his 2024 single “Eyes Wide Shut.”
Yet the new maari record, fittingly titled 99 Radio, Vol. 1, finds the rapper and producer embracing his roots. It includes cameos by his former bandmates, such as rappers Conswank and Damor (formerly known as Hanknative), showing that the 802 connection remains strong.
2026 is shaping up to be a big year for Paulino. He performs an album release show opening for funk star Thundercat at Burlington’s Waterfront Park on Thursday, July 30. He’s also fresh from winning the 2026 Black Music Action Coalition Music Maker Grant, which not only helped fund his new record but also put legendary pop and R&B producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (Janet Jackson) on his speed dial.
I feel like I finally have the proper tools to step up to that next level.
Sam Paulino
“I feel like I finally have the proper tools to step up to that next level,” Paulino said in a recent interview with Seven Days from his home in Essex, flanked by his two Chihuahuas. “I understand the industry, and I understand what I want from my music much more now.”
Now that it’s been a few years since the split, are you all starting to drift back into each other’s orbits, musically?
By the end, it was for the best that we parted ways with that kind of boy-band aspect the label was trying to put on us. We each had to find our own vibes.
But we all still work and hang together. JuJu [Julian Segar-Reid] is actually on his way over here now — you’re probably going to hear my dogs go nuts in a minute. And it was awesome having Swank and Hank on the single. I had “99 F°” and knew Swank’s voice needed to be on it.
I mean, we made our last record in 2021; I was 24 years old. We’ve all come a long way, so having them on this record, it feels like a new and improved 99 Neighbors vibe.
Going from a major label to essentially being a DIY indie artist seems like an intense transition. How have you navigated that?
These last few years have been amazing for woodshedding. I’ve had to do a lot more by myself. I made all the beats on this album; I recorded everything. I’ve directed videos and shot teasers and planned single releases … I don’t have any infrastructure, but I’m totally free.
I maybe didn’t realize the full scope of the workload I was taking on after leaving Warner, so I’m just finding new ways to keep people paying attention and caring about my music. One day, I’d love to be back on a major label, but I’ve learned so much from being on my own.
As a newly indie artist, winning the Black Music Action Coalition grant must have been a massive help.
One hundred percent! My old manager sent me a link to apply, but I never thought I’d get it, to be honest. I sent a track last October and kind of forgot about it. Then I’m in the gym in February and got a call saying I was a finalist, and could I fly out to Los Angeles tomorrow? There was a ceremony with LL Cool J and Flavor Flav and Jon Batiste.
And, of course, that was when we had that massive snowstorm. I was literally at the airport when my flight got canceled. I was sick to my stomach over it, man. I got to accept the award over FaceTime, but that was a tough one, for real.
The grant was huge for me, though. I paid for the album, got some studio plug-ins and gear, paid for the music videos, and I’ve still got about a grand to put toward more promotion. And now I’m talking with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis all the time. I send them tracks.
On top of featuring some of your old bandmates, the new record is a concept record of sorts — a long-form, radio-like experience. It’s even narrated by a DJ. Was that always the intention, or did the concept develop as you recorded it?
I love radio. My mom is in radio — she’s Chantal from 95 Triple X — so radio has always been a big part of my life. With 99 Neighbors, we started “99 Radio” on Twitch, and then it got picked up by Amazon. But it withered away after we disbanded. So I wanted to do this record as a concept using “99 Radio” as the theme — sort of bring it back, in a way.
Part of it is, ironically, that I think this record has a lot of radio appeal. I went through my underground rapper phase with the last few records, and I think I’m coming full circle now to find my sound. I’m a pop artist at the end of the day.
The Vermont hip-hop ecosystem seems to have grown and changed since 99 Neighbors first hit. What is your view of the current scene?
It’s the best it’s been so far. When we were coming up, it felt like it was just us and a few other heads like Jarv and Charlie Mayne and a few others. It had been years since VT Union and A_Dog, and we were sort of the first up here to hit Soundcloud and ride that wave.
But I feel like the scene is in a really creative place; it’s flourishing. I love seeing rappers like Flywlker hit a wave of their own. I feel proud of what we did. We had to trailblaze, and I think you can see the results of that in the scene now.
But we need a big connecting event. A hip-hop Waking Windows would be sick. I’ve been talking with [Iggy Pop and Rough Francis drummer] Urian Hackney and Luis Calderin and a bunch of other people for years. I want to get more hip-hop on the waterfront. Every now and then the city will sort of “allow” a hip-hop show on the waterfront, but it’s been hard. I feel it’s disrespectful to hip-hop to be excluded — dare I say even a little racist? We tried to do a show at City Hall Park a few years ago, and people were like, “There’s going to be riots, and people will be shot.” Like, c’mon, man. That’s fucking nonsense.
Getting on the Thundercat bill at the Waterfront should help. How did that gig come about?
Dude, it’s just like the situation with the grant — you gotta shoot your shot. I called the folks at Higher Ground to see if I could open the show. It took some dedication and follow-through, but I got on the bill. And that’s what I tell anyone asking how to navigate this business: Just send it, homie. Shoot your shot.
This interview was edited for clarity and length.
This article appears in July 22 • 2026.
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