I am Douglas Stepney, aka “Boobie,” born and raised in the Hunters Point Housing Projects in San Francisco, CA. I lived at 19 Harbor Rd. with my grandmother and mother. While growing up in the projects, I was exposed to a lot of things: hustling, pimping, and even murder. These are themes that I incorporate into my work to better depict what much of America and the world does not know a lot about. At the early age of 6, my uncle murdered a man in my living room for trying to burn my grandmother for a diamond ring. I watched that man die in my house, leading me to believe how the many injustices of the world can wreak havoc on communities and in some cases entire nations. 

By the age of 9, I would go to my grandfather’s house every summer to work for his construction company. My grandfather as my new father figure, taught me a lot about how to be a stand-up man, an entrepreneur, and an independent by sending me home every summer with a $900-$1200 check.  I also hustled in the neighborhood, washing cars for all of the d-boys and drug dealers.

I was working summer jobs at “YCD”, Young Community Developers at the age of 13, making minimum wage at $3.25 an hour. I was able to fund my own rap career through this job. I was able to buy all my own equipment in 1984. I was rapping, but rapping back then was more of a hip-hop genre. So rappers that glorified hustling, selling drugs, using drugs, or violence were frowned upon. Although I did a few talent shows, there wasn't a real platform at the time for monetary gain or backing. By 15, I put the microphone down and picked up a scale. I started selling weed and became addicted to instant gratification and fast cash. This went on for a couple of years. then I was introduced to crack cocaine. I was growing my wealth at a very early age, Being a hustler with a passion for the rap game while possessing entrepreneurial talents.

After my career began to take off, I was granted the opportunity by Mayor Willie Brown and the city of San Francisco to have my own studio in the heart of my neighborhood. 1 Harbor Rd. became Big Block Studios and my own film production company. I was scheduled to shoot my short film called“Block Monstas” and a documentary called “Straight Outta Hunters Point”, although I knew what I wanted to do, knowing how to do it was a different battle. Knowledge is power, and while trying to build a successful & legitimate label, the hate cast upon me was real.