Pedalay the Boss - aka James “Pedalay” Robinson - was born in Southeast San Diego in the late 1980s. “I remember being eight, and my grandma telling me I can’t see my dad because he let me dub Dr. Dre’s The Chronic onto a blank tape, to play in my walkman at school.”
Pedalay says his music is influenced by not having a mother around, his father leaving him around when he was allowed to listen to Dre, being raised in a heavily gang related environment, and being forced to live with relatives. From being a high school dropout at seventeen to becoming a father and having to start real life shortly after, Pedalay has seen his share of struggle. “The ups and downs, struggles and politics are where all my pain comes from. Then, I turn the pain into energy, then the energy into music.”
The single father of two operates his own indie label, Smoke Break Records. On June 15, 2010, Pedalay released The Inspiration, part one of a two-part project that he has been working on for several years. The album mainly features production from the Infinity Gauntlet. Also sharing production credits are Shaun Lo (Smoke Break Records) and Mischif (Track Wide Ent). The project features guest appearances by Jimmy Powers (Clay Pigeons, 2012 Dynasty) and Gangsta Gold Macnificent.