Efon

Rappers out of Palm Beach County don't get a lot of love in these parts. Everyone's eyes are on Miami's scene, but South Florida rapper/producer Efon is working to change that. He's put out a series of mixtapes titled The Free Album for a number of years, showcasing independent artists, and he's a stalwart supporter of local hip-hop in the Palm Beaches and beyond. His latest mixtape, Wasted Talent, is a departure from his previous series as well as a bit darker. Here he essentially refers to himself as a talented MC who can't find success. It's clever and artistic based on its brutal honesty alone. The track "I Used to Be Tight" is all hip-hop self-loathing at its finest. He's being harder on himself than necessary, rapping about, as the title plainly says, how tight he used to be. But with lines about how "you live check-to-check or work for gas money," he's speaking to many of us. In that sense, Efon has always been the blue-collar voice of rap's proletariat. He can switch it up, though, and his verses on "Best Wishes Pt.1" and "Best Wishes Pt. 2" are more like personal love letters. Just when you think you can pinpoint his style, it changes, and this disc — with guest appearances by Antomic and DK of Free Thought — shows there's plenty of talent in West Palm Beach.