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The Brash Genius of Berner

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It’s no secret that cannabis, hip-hop and an entrepreneurial spirit have gone hand-in-hand for a long time. Hip-hop music about hustling cannabis is as old as the genre itself. Obviously, because of the negative stigma that has unfortunately surrounded herb since the inception of rap music, these songs have largely been criminal anthems. But the year is 2016, where cannabis is largely becoming legal and decriminalized across the U.S., and Berner, aka Gilbert “Berner” Milam Jr., hustles hard. He has his hands in the cannabis business in multiple ways and profits like crazy from the sweet green plant. And, it’s all legal—from his raps about cannabis on Wiz Khalifa’s label and at live shows, to his cannabis accessories store and water company, to his part in popularizing the Cookies family, it has all been one hundred percent above board. He even got his start selling cannabis to fund his career—not out on the streets, but in the legal club that he ran before striking it big in the rap game.

Having success that is founded in hard work, perseverance and maintaining a good name in the worlds of rap and cannabis have made Berner driven, inspired and loyal. He’s a family man and a father and is just as likely to pen a song about raising his daughter as he is to write one about smoking a blunt.

“I smoke [cannabis] when I write, when I relax, when I eat and when I don’t eat.”

Berner became successful as a rapper later in life, and he wasted no time putting out dozens of albums and mix-tapes, touring and getting as involved in business as possible. When we caught up with him, he was on the road, taking a moment between gigs to smoke some good herb, write some verses and talk to CULTURE. The pearls of wisdom he dropped about Girl Scout Cookies, his latest album and the realities of the rap world ring as true as the verses he pens on a daily basis.

How did you get your start as a rapper, and when did you experience your initial success?

I started rapping in 2003 or 2005, just kind of playing around, but I didn’t really get my first taste of success until 2007 when I put out my first album. That’s when I’d say I first had real success as a rapper.

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What do you feel is one of your biggest accomplishments since entering the rap scene?

Being able to work with all the artists I grew up with and wanted to work with, for sure, is one of my biggest accomplishments. I was able to work with people I genuinely like listening to and really vibe with, and that’s kind of the reason I got into music, was to work with people I like, and with people who put together beats that I really like, people I want to be associated with.

How would you describe your sound? What kind of beats do you like to use, and what subjects do you usually rap about?

I like melodic sounds, like a real melodic type of beat, something real hypnotizing. That’s what I’m mostly using these days. My sound is chill; it’s real wavy. I talk about shit I’ve been through in my life, my daughter and things that helped me get to where I am today. I speak from the heart. A lot of people say that most rappers talk about their success in the drug business, the glorifying of all that type of stuff, and of crime, and all the good things they have in their lives, but I talk about the things that can bring you down, real life type stuff, not just the good stuff and how well I’m doing.

“. . . it’s very obvious that the feds and the government don’t know how to treat this yet, so they are just letting people open up with different rules in different states, but they are trying to figure out the best way to monetize it and they don’t necessarily know how.”

When did you get signed to Wiz Khalifa’s label, Taylor Gang, and how did that happen? Have you had a good experience with them so far?

I got signed by them about three years ago maybe, and it happened really naturally. Wiz was my friend, and we were just smoking and chilling together, and I felt like he had a platform that could help take me to the next level. I think it was a good thing for me for sure, and it’s been working out great.

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You also released 20 Lights as a solo record, which features Wiz Khalifa. How active has the collaboration between the two of you been, and how did that come about?

It’s a natural thing; we make music when we’re together. People like our chemistry; we vibe out, we make music. We have a good time together.

Rap is a genre where the artists tend to put out a lot of records, and you already have an impressive amount under your belt considering you didn’t put out your first record until 2007.

What recording are you the happiest with? Which would you choose if you had to pick one to define your career?

I would probably say Urban Farmer or Drugstore Cowboy; they are both mix-tapes I worked on that we gave away for free, but they are the first things I put out after hooking up with Wiz. They all have their own vibes and their own sounds though, so it’s hard to choose. I like ‘em all.

How do you feel about the success of your latest album, Hempire? What are you the happiest about with the record, and what were some of the biggest themes of the album?

I’m just happy that we built something strong and it’s sticking—we did 11,000 the first week and that’s bigger than what I’ve done before so I’m happy. I’m just really happy the people enjoy the music–not much has really changed, but the overall feedback is that people really like the album. If you can keep releasing music and people like it that’s really a plus. I didn’t really get anyone saying it’s the same old shit—everyone is really positive. A lot of big artists complimented my album. People are giving me mad props for this album.

Have you been touring or playing shows lately?

I am on tour right now, and I’ve been playing shows lately all across the world. We stay moving. There is a lot to look forward to in the future; I plan to be on the road a lot.

What is your creative process like as far as writing and rapping?

I write it down when I rap usually, but when I am in a different city around people I don’t really know, it motivates me to be dope and adapt to the city. The city I’m in and where I’m at definitely play a big part in what I write and how I create.

You just opened a clothing and lifestyle store in the Bay Area, called Cookies. How did this come about?

The clothing store came from an online store we had for a few years. We sell men’s and women’s street wear and a whole line of creative smoke accessories, our own jars; and we carry a lot of other dope stuff as well. Mostly smoking accessories and clothing.

Obviously the big rumor and story surrounding your career is that you helped invent the strain Girls Scout Cookies. How true is this rumor, and how involved were you in coming up with the name?

My boy Jive created Girl Scout Cookies and I was there all along being an ambassador, trying to get the name out there. It’s a group effort. The Cookie fam definitely played a big role in that, but I was there from day one.

Is Girl Scout Cookies your favorite strain?

Right now, my favorite strain is Gelato—it’s a Skunk and Cookie cross.

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How else have you been involved with the cannabis industry over the years?

Every way possible. I ran a cannabis club when I was 18 years old; I’ve been an activist for it; I own a bunch of companies in that field; I have a partnership with RAW Papers; I’m in it every way I could picture it. I’ve got my hands in it all over the place (laughs). I also have my marijuana consulting business, which is going great. My Hemp2O water company is also doing really well, and the beverages are everywhere—711, CVS, Shell gas stations, etc.

How do you feel about changes to the cannabis industry since legalization began?

It’s interesting—it’s very obvious that the feds and the government don’t know how to treat this yet, so they are just letting people open up with different rules in different states, but they are trying to figure out the best way to monetize it, and they don’t necessarily know how. People are watching to try and learn how this works. I think the whole venture capitalist shit is starting to get annoying; at first it was exciting, but a lot of venture capitalists are coming around and picking people’s brains, getting a lot of knowledge and a lot of information for free and not following through with shit. A lot of real estate gurus and big banking guys—you can’t start a business with money that’s not in the bank and you can’t really put cannabis money in the bank, so you get a lot of these bigwigs who try and come in and help, and they can take shit away real quick if they take your money; it’s kind of scary. We just keep getting closer to legalization, though, which is what I hope is the main goal.

How do you work cannabis into your creative process? Do you smoke while writing and rapping or only when relaxing and recreating?

I smoke when I write, when I relax, when I eat and when I don’t eat. Right now, my homie just got in the room, and we smoked some Skittles. It’ll make our flavor different, and when I get tired I’ll smoke some Snowman.

In the past, cannabis and rappers have always been negatively associated with criminal connotations, but that is changing a lot more now. Do you think you are helping with that, running your store, rapping about Cookies and being so visible?

The number one thing people tell me when they meet and see me is, you motivate me to do something great; you’re a good father; you’ve got your business right. I realize that everybody needs money to get their thing going, but we try not to support getting money in a way that’s not legit. I do rap and I do rap about weed, but I show publically that there are all kinds of things that got me good, so I definitely try to send a positive message.

What do you have going on right now, in terms of music, selling clothing or other endeavors?

I can’t even wrap it up in one sentence. There’s so much going on; I’ve got my hands in 20 different herb-related projects. I’m just trying to work. I’m letting the Mexican in me come out right now (laughs). I’m just gonna stay working.

What do you hope the future holds for your music and career?

I’m trying to retire, but I want to be able to leave a legacy. When I pass away, I want people to care; I want people to know about it; I want people to reminisce on my music and what I did in this world. It’s just trying to find a way to make it last forever–Tupac is gonna be forever, Biggie’s gonna be forever, so the goal is to get to where I can be remembered forever somehow, whether it be through cannabis, the music or whatever.

www.bernermusic.com

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