The story of Paper Chaser begins in the Bay Area, specifically San Jose, California. His mother had him at sixteen and raised him as a single parent. After moving to East Palo Alto, they struggled to make ends meet, sometimes sleeping in the back seat of their car and finding any way they could to get food. When his mother later found herself in an abusive relationship, she made the decision to leave and start over in San Diego.

They first found shelter through St. Vincent de Paul and the YWCA's services for people experiencing domestic violence. After months in shelters, they moved into their first apartment in Golden Hill near downtown San Diego. That was where Paper Chaser's love for hip-hop took root. He spent his allowance on CDs by LL Cool J, N.W.A, Eazy-E, EPMD, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, Wu-Tang Clan, DJ Quik, Redman, and others, becoming a student of wordplay, cadence, metaphors, similes, punchlines, flow, and delivery.

He wrote his first verse at eleven, decided it was completely wack, and did not try again until he was fourteen. That second verse earned his friends' approval and convinced him that rapping could be his future. As a teenager he helped form The Fedaralz, performing under the name Destro—a nickname inspired by the G.I. Joe character. The group entered countless battle-rap tournaments and toured across the country. After roughly a decade in the group, he began working toward a solo album and discovered that he could not continue using the Destro name.

He adopted the name D-Boy P. Chase, short for “D-Boy the Paper Chaser,” and released earlier solo work under that alias. Those projects remain part of his story and can be found by searching D-Boy P. Chase on YouTube or Google. He ultimately simplified the name to Paper Chaser and built a catalog rooted in raw, hardcore underground West Coast hip-hop.

Paper Chaser identifies first as a lyricist. His music documents the realities of the neighborhoods and everyday pressures around him while using sharp wordplay, witty metaphors, double entendres, and a distinct West Coast delivery. That combination separates him from many artists in San Diego and beyond. He is most proud of staying true to the music he loves instead of changing himself to chase fame.

The independent road has never been smooth. San Diego does not have the same hip-hop infrastructure as Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, or the Bay Area, so local artists often have to travel to build a following—even in their own city. Independence also means handling everything: finding and buying beats, booking studio time, commissioning artwork, funding and producing videos, and building a social-media audience. Paper Chaser has embraced every part of that challenge.

His current run began with Minor Setback for a Major Comeback in 2019, followed by San Diego Hall of Fame on June 19, 2021. He returned on June 19, 2023—representing San Diego's 6-1-9 area code—with Welcome To The Salty D. The West Coast Never Sounded Like This arrived on January 1, 2024, followed by The Western Metal Supply EP on November 13, 2024. After a two-year hiatus, he is back with the weekly 40 Bar Fridays freestyle series and more new projects on the way.

One of his favorite early memories is sitting on a San Diego fire escape with his mother and a small radio, repeatedly playing their cassette of Zapp's “Computer Love.” They were new to the city and knew almost no one, so the music became a way to bond and adjust to their new surroundings. That same connection—music as survival, memory, and forward motion—still drives Paper Chaser today.

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