The label was home to musicians in the no wave, post-punk, post-disco, and avant-garde scenes in New York City.

[1] They focused on independent and punk music, becoming a successful rival to Bleecker Bob's in the West Village.

[3] The store's arty appeal stood in contrast to many of the local businesses, which Bush Tetras member Dee Pop called "real Bob Dylan territory".

[6] In 1980 and 1981 the label released several records for local bands, some of which had crossover success in dance clubs.

Bahlman stated that over a hundred acts had asked about releasing music through 99 but that growing too fast would damage the label's "sense of identity.

[1] During the 2000s, 99's arrangements guided the dance music community in New York, particularly dance-punk label DFA Records.

[1] Musician James Murphy named 99 as one of his favorite labels, and it has been a major influence on his bass technique with LCD Soundsystem.