Doley Bernays

Doley comes from the Uptown section of the BX, a community that helped raise him. “My mom was great, but she just had to work a lot, so she wasn’t home like that. I was in the streets every single day.” Even before he turned 10, Doley (an adaptation for the loner slang term “dolo”) spent his days in the concrete streets. His older sisters introduced him to hometown hip-hop, ranging from Wu-Tang Clan to Busta Rhymes to Ma$e. By adolescence, the top student who was regularly expelled from schools for ignoring authority began rocking the microphone. Ever since then, Doley’s prided himself on his mind and his originality. “Everybody was naming themselves after drug dealers, gangsters, and Italians,” he recalls of the rap cliche. “I named myself after a great thinker, not someone who just did regular stuff in the streets.”

Doley, who had become a father during high school, prioritized his son. Before stepping back, Doley met Picaso, who later co-founded UpAndOn1. In the days and years that followed, Bernays regularly crashed on Picaso’s couch while in L.A. While joining the P in the studio, he witnessed a Rap movement that included L.A.’s Shoreline Mafia and 03 Greedo take flight.

Even though he stepped away from the public eye, Doley maintained writing and recording. One reference track, “We All Sin Here,” was shopped by the rapper’s manager. As a result, it was prominently featured in 2018’s The Afterparty, starring KYLE. Thanks to Shazam, new fans came on board, leading to nearly 3 million overall streams. Soon after, more music appeared on HBO’s Insecure as well as Ballers. “You never know what your music can do for you. You have to put it out in the universe to get something back,” says Doley. Since 2018, he has released thematic song packs. I PROMISED… honors a pledge to Doley’s brothers, who were his steadfast support system regarding his music. While one brother was slain, the other, Highklass, is serving a 17-year federal sentence. Another 3-pack, 2020’s Hard Raising Black Boys, shifts from perspectives within generations of his family—all themed on preserving young Black life.

However, Lobby Tape puts a spotlight on Doley’s Rotten Apple come-up. “In New York, the project lobby is a very lethal place,” he recalls of seeking shelter in his hustling days. In the spirit of classic mixtapes, the raw mixes complement the gritty lyrical content. The campaign launches with “A Week Straight,” the latest in-studio collaboration between Doley and 03 Greedo. With more music in the can and a career taking shape after years of paid dues, Doley Bernays is moving like he has something to prove. “It’s not about ego or pride; I just bet on myself.”