[4] Raíces had a difficult time making a name for themselves and Figueroa left the group and returned to New York City, where he took a job at a Sam Goody record store.

[3][4] Figueroa eventually rejoined Raíces and recorded an album with them in Miami, but moved back to New York again when the group broke up a few years later.

Upon learning that Figueroa was a percussionist, Mann invited him to sit in at a club gig and, later, offered him a spot in his band.

Over the course of his career, he worked with a wide range of jazz, rock, pop, soul, fusion, and Latin musicians, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, George Benson, Chet Baker, Al Foster, Stanley Clarke, Art Farmer, Quincy Jones, Grover Washington Jr., Houston Person, Al Jarreau, Lena Horne, Joe Williams, Tony Williams, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Arturo Sandoval, Dave Weckl, John Scofield, Don Cherry, Yoko Ono, Pat Metheny, Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Gadd, Jaco Pastorius, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston, Ben E. King, Peter Tosh, Chaka Khan, Mariah Carey, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, The Bee Gees, Blondie, Bette Middler, Celine Dion, Patti Smith, Narada Michael Walden, David Lee Roth, Roberta Flack, Sister Sledge, Tom Jones, James Taylor, Carole King, Natalie Merchant, Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, Joe Cocker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Steven Van Zandt, Ashford & Simpson, Hall & Oates, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Chic, The Yellowjackets, Steve Winwood, Nestor Torres, Chico O’Farrell, Paquito D’Rivera, Ruben Blades, Eddie Palmieri, Rafel Cortijo, Tania Maria, and many others.

[18][19] Figueroa endorses Pearl percussion, Sabian cymbals, Vic Firth drumsticks, and Shure microphones.

His gear setup includes:[3] [3][20][21][22] Solo With Sammy Figueroa & His Latin Jazz Explosion With Raíces With Ashford & Simpson With Average White Band With George Benson With Blondie With Blues Traveler With Tommy Bolin With David Bowie With The Brecker Brothers With Paul Carrack With Don Cherry With Chic With Joe Cocker With Miles Davis With Joey DeFrancesco With Deodato With Will Downing With Paquito D'Rivera With Enchantment With Al Foster With Nnenna Freelon With Hiroshi Fukumura With Bee Gees With Debbie Gibson With Dave Grusin With Gwen Guthrie With Hall & Oates With Major Harris With Debbie Harry With Nicole Henry With Whitney Houston With Grayson Hugh With Dr. John With Etta Jones With Mick Jagger With France Joli With Stanley Jordan With Chaka Khan With Ben E. King With Carole King With Morgana King With Earl Klugh With Gladys Knight & The Pips With Melissa Manchester With Herbie Mann With Jay McShann With Bette Midler With Stephanie Mills With Charles Mingus With Bob Mintzer Big Band With Idris Muhammad With Mark Murphy With Odyssey With Yoko Ono With John Pizzarelli With Jimmy Ponder With Sonny Rollins With David Lee Roth With Diana Ross With Leo Sayer With John Scofield With Sister Sledge With O. C. Smith With Patti Smith With Spyro Gyra With Billy Squier With Candi Staton With Peter Tosh With Luther Vandross With Narada Michael Walden With Dionne Warwick With Steven Van Zandt