In ‘Splash City,’ Actor Galaxy Brooks Brings Firsthand Knowledge of the Streets

The crime drama Splash City is a feature film with local star power, glossy cinematography and a dark storyline about an issue that has long plagued the Bay Area: bippin‘.

Car windows are shattered. Backpacks are snatched. Underbuckets bend corners through busy San Francisco streets. There’s guns, sex, big money and high stakes. Splash City, written and directed by Berner, Alex Ferrufino and David Mansanalez (and distributed by Lionsgate), also features an affecting performance by Oakland lyricist Baby Gas, a cameo from Pinole-raised producer P-Lo and a brief appearance by Fillmore rapper Ronski Mayfield.

But it’s the film’s antagonist who embodies an archetype often seen in hood films. Through him, Splash City brings into focus real-life issues caused by wealth inequality in the Bay Area.

“It was a time in my life where I was waking up and bippin’ all day,” says Quincy “Galaxy” Brooks today. “That’s how I was getting my money to eat.”

Brooks, a 27 year-old rapper and son of San Francisco hip-hop legend San Quinn, plays the menacing role of Darnell “Dolo” Ferguson in the film. As the ultimate bad guy, his character is a wolf in high-end clothing, tattoos and shiny jewels.

To prepare for the role, Brooks relied on his own lived experiences, and his mother’s mentality from a time when she, too, was forced to navigate all the streets entail. Lastly, Brooks says, he was heavily influenced by the iconic role Tupac played in 1992 film Juice.

“I was like ‘I want make that new millennium 2026 Bishop,’” says Brooks, adding that he watched Juice over a dozen times before taking the role of Dolo. In doing so, he saw beyond the ruthless character on the screen and identified with Tupac the person, a young rapper and actor influenced by the Bay’s culture. Tupac brought a certain “ummph” with him to the set of the film, says Brooks, and “that’s the same thing I wanted to do for Dolo.”

In Splash City, Dolo is a headstrong character who holds a boss-like influence in the community. He pays for a couple younger homies’ jewelry when their stolen credit card is declined. He also does scandalous stuff to the younger ring of thieves, cutting them short on loads of cash because he runs the operation.

As the film’s story unfolds, a chain of events pits Dolo against a childhood friend and rising hoop star, Elijah “Slim” Johnson (Zach Sowers). Eventually, Slim’s brother and the main protagonist of the film, Julian “Juju” Johnson (Reed Shannon), steps up to bring Dolo to justice — but not before Dolo and his hot temper wreak havoc on the community.

As the outspoken live wire of the crew, Dolo is an archetype that we’ve seen before. Similar to Bishop in Juice, O-Dog in Menace II Society or Bundy in Belly, he’s a Black man who’s both charismatic and a crashout. Full of ego and rage, he overly flexes his power to get revenge on those who once made him feel powerless.

Thanks to Brooks’ performance, even as Dolo goes off the deep end, his character retains a relatable humanity.

“I know that dude,” Brooks says, explaining his familiarity with the role, which he landed in a circuitous way. Initially in contact with Berner (founder of the Cookies cannabis brand and San Francisco hip-hop artist) to play the role of Preach in the film, he heard Dolo described as “a young street dude from the city — the wild one.” Brooks said to himself: “I feel like I do that real good.”

He and his younger brother Zakee “H20” Brooks, who raps with Brooks in a group called THA SOULJAS, each auditioned multiple times before being awarded roles in the film. “I wasn’t that deeply involved in the streets,” the older Brooks says, contrasting his life with Dolo’s.

In order to really tap into that cutthroat mentality, he looked to his mother, Cheryl-T.

“My mom was ruthless out here on the streets,” says Brooks, adding that she’s done it all, from robberies to theft, all as a means of survival.

As a child, Brooks’ mom moved from New Orleans to the West Point housing projects in Bayview-Hunters Point. She later lived in the notorious Harbor Road projects before being kicked out of the house at age 13. She became a parent while still young, mothering two children before Brooks, plus his younger brother soon after.

As a mom, Brooks says, Cheryl-T stole school clothes to ensure the kids had fresh fits in the classroom. She took football pads from the store to make sure Brooks had the gear he needed when he stepped on the gridiron.

Even with Dolo’s snake-like mentality, many viewers may find themselves siding with him at times, much like Bundy in Belly or Bishop in Juice.

“I think we all have a little Bishop or O-Dog or Dolo in us,” says Brooks. A lot of folks have experienced the feeling of being pushed to the limit. “Especially as Black people, just because all the scrutiny and hardships. Dolo is just a young dude who’s been through hardships and isn’t turning down no more.”

What’s more human than navigating an oppressive system by taking vengeance out on those in close proximity? In the Bay Area, where the chasm between the haves and have nots is wider than the Salesforce Tower laying on its side, it’s no wonder that people wielding a spark plug are preying on the parked vehicles of others.

‘Splash City’ is currently showing at select theaters nationwide, with upcoming screenings on Friday, July 31 in San José and Saturday, Aug. 1 in San Francisco. Screening times and more information here.