Berner

Rapper and entrepreneur Berner made a slow rise from the mixtape underground in the 2000s, later signing with Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang Records in 2012 for the release of his fourth set, Urban Farmer. In addition to his solo work, Berner is also a prolific collaborator, issuing over a dozen joint efforts with the likes of the Jacka, B-Real, Cam'ron, Styles P, Young Dolph, and Mozzy. A vocal proponent of marijuana, Berner co-founded Cookies, a shop selling weed and weed-associated clothing and lifestyle accessory items that grew into a franchise. He continued prolifically releasing new music as the Cookies empire grew, collaborating with rappers like Larry June and Curren$y on upwards of four projects a year, and releasing solo efforts like the albums Gotti (2021), From Seed to Sale (2022), and Arrogance Is Ignorance (One Shot Kill) (2023). Born Gilbert Milam, Jr. in San Francisco, he began rapping while still in high school in the mid-2000s, and it wasn’t long before he self-produced and released his debut mixtape, Dirty Sneakers…Plenty of Ways to Get It, in 2007. An avid marijuana enthusiast, Milam spent a lot of time working in cannabis dispensaries while he was building his hip-hop career. It was through his fame in weed circles that he eventually met and became friends with stoner rap icon Wiz Khalifa. Berner was signed to Khalifa’s Taylor Gang Records in 2012, touring with the label’s family of artists before the release of his first set for the label (and fourth overall), Urban Farmer. Along with consistent musical output, Milam branched out to other business pursuits including fashion lines and even his own genetically engineered original strains of medical marijuana. In the 2010s, Berner issued a handful of solo efforts, including the Billboard-charting 20 Lights EP and Hempire. He also collaborated with a number of fellow rappers, including B-Real (the Prohibition trilogy), Cam'ron (Contraband), Styles P (Vibes), Young Dolph (Tracking Numbers), and Mozzy (Slimey Individualz). Berner released the album El Chivo in May 2019, which included the single “Wassup” (featuring Wiz Khalifa and Chevy Woods). The 2020s brought a rush of new material, as Berner collaborated with Larry June on the Cooks & Orange Juice EP and then with Cozmo on the full-length mixtape Respect the Connect, both released in 2020. The following year a series of gangster-themed releases included the Paulie Cicero mixtape and the studio album Gotti. Both were heavy on features, and Gotti featured the song “Too Many Goats,” a group track that included appearances from Rick Ross, Nas, Kevin Cossom, and Jadakiss. The album also featured guest spots from Rod Wave, Future, and familiar Berner counterparts Cozmo and Wiz Khalifa. In 2022, Berner released “Bomb Bay on My Back” and “Cookies Forever,” and followed with From Seed to Sale, another full-length which hit number 20 on the Billboard 200. His 2023 output included the solo album Arrogance Is Ignorance (One Shot Kill) and Trophies, a joint set with Ohgeesy. ~ Fred Thomas