Bay Area rapper Berner releases memoir behind Cookies cannabis empire

Bay Area rapper Berner shares hustle behind Cookies cannabis empire in new memoir

San Francisco-born rapper and entrepreneur Berner, whose name is Gilbert Milam Jr., says hustle, authenticity, and resilience helped transform Cookies from an underground cannabis operation into a global cannabis, streetwear and lifestyle brand.

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - San Francisco-born rapper and entrepreneur Berner, whose name is Gilbert Milam Jr., says hustle, authenticity, and resilience helped transform Cookies from an underground cannabis operation into a global cannabis, streetwear and lifestyle brand.

Berner's life and memoir

San Francisco-born rapper and entrepreneur Berner, whose name is Gilbert Milam Jr., points to a collage of his life. May 19, 2026

Inside his 20,000-square-foot Cookies compound in San Rafael, Berner reflected on his rise from San Francisco streets to the cover of Forbes in his new memoir, "Becoming Legend: The Billion-Dollar Blueprint to be a Whale in a Sea of Sharks."

The Mexican-Italian high school dropout says he learned business instincts early from his family. His father owned restaurants in San Francisco, while his mother worked as a headhunter.

Berner said growing up in the Bay Area helped shape his independent mentality and entrepreneurial edge.

"We're the king of independent music scenes," Berner said. "But I think that a lot of flavor comes from the Bay Area, whether it be in the marijuana industry, whether it be the clothing industry, whether it be whatever it may be, the music, and I think it kind of gave me the edge I have."

Before Cookies became the most recognized Cannabis brand in the world, as a teenager, Berner says he balanced working at Tully’s Coffee in San Francisco during the day and recording music at night.

"I'd wake up like at 5 a.m., I'd walk to the bus stop, I'd take the N Judah down to my work, and I'd be at the coffee shop until about like three or 4 o'clock. I'd get off, go link up my friends, I'd go make music. I was hustling weed at the coffee shop. Sorry, Tully's," he said with a laugh. "But people loved me. I brought a lot of customers in there that bought coffee as well, but I was just building myself up. I needed money to pay for studio time and get beats."

From Bay Area hustle to global brand

Berner says many of the street smarts he developed growing up later became useful in high-level business negotiations.

"I think you just have to understand that sometimes there's always an alternative agenda, what is this person trying to get from me?" he said.

As Cookies expanded globally, Berner said adapting to the cannabis industry’s shift to legalization brought major challenges, including intense growing pains.

"I could have folded a lot of times, and litigation is probably some of the most painful things that we can go through as humans. It's almost demoralizing what they put me through," he said. "But here's what I stand by: one, I beat cancer already, so I'm alive, so nothing could be that serious. And two, when you build something big and you build something that's very powerful and impactful, people will come for it. I feel like I've been fighting for Cookies, because we all built it. It wasn't just me that built it, it means something to San Francisco," Berner said.

Berner said authenticity helped fuel both his music career and the Cookies brand, with each building off the loyal audience of the other.

Despite the success of his business empire, Berner says the identity most important to him today is being a father.

"I'm all about the family," he said. "It's important to me to kind of get that nice balance in life, right? So, I think the core of me is just love, family, unity. That's really who I am."

Berner is now a father of three, with another daughter due in July.

He says he’s focused on expanding the Cookies brand while continuing to prioritize quality and innovation. He’s also producing a new film called "Splash City," shot in San Francisco and centered around "bipping" or smash-and-grab crimes in the city. The movie is expected to be released in July.

Looking ahead, Berner says one of his biggest goals is to one day see Cookies listed on the Nasdaq.