Mixtape review: Pedalay The Boss asks 'Why So Serious?'

September 27, 11:21 PMSan Diego Rap Music ExaminerQuan Vu

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Pedalay murders wack emcees.

Pedalay The Boss just wants to rap. He likes to rap and he raps pretty well but for some people, that's not enough.

"It's hard to get a lot of love," says Pedalay. "I don't 'bang, so some of the gangsters play me to the side. And with the fools who think I 'bang because I'm from Southeast [San Diego], I kinda get played to the side. So I'm like, 'Why so serious?' This is hip-hop only."

It's hard for Pedalay not to get boxed in but he keeps pushing. Pedalay recently released his latest mixtape, Why So Serious?, for free download through his website, Smoke Break Records. Pedalay finds inspiration from last year's blockbuster hit movie, The Dark Knight, for this mixtape, the title itself quoting the downright sinister Joker character.

Why So Serious? isn't exactly sinister but, like The Dark Knight, it is very epic, very dramatic, and pretty good. Pedalay and his main producer, Infinity Gauntlet (who produces most of the mixtape and holds just about the illest hip-hop alias ever), are developing a good dark sound, full of looming strings, ominous keys, and lots of cold, open space. It's comparable to something like Jedi Mind Tricks but less overbearingly in-your-face about it.

Pedalay's rapping style probably has a lot to do with that difference. See, Pedalay actually has some semblance of charisma and it goes a long way. He rarely says anything really amazing but he says it in a way that's convincing, which is pretty tough to do. Pedalay's biggest hurdle now is his writing ability. He frequently falls back on cliches such as "I'm hot like Tabasco" but he shows some potential. At one point, he claims, "We are not the same, I am a Predator," which is kind of mind-bogglingly complex and very dope. Hopefully, Pedalay continues to hone his craft and drop more of the latter and less of the former.