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DJ EFN’s nostalgic release “Another Time” brings back classic rap to Miami

Throughout American culture, different eras of time have had a specific genre that defined that era’s history.

“I would particularly get drawn to the way music defined generations and decades, the way you can remember that something happened in history, and it had a soundtrack to it,” says local Miami Hip Hop Executive DJ EFN.

Though born in Los Angeles, EFN has always been proud to represent Miami, specifically the Kendall area. The Miami Sunset Senior High alumni has made his origins clear, from his career’s early mixtapes series, to his recent compilation album “Another Time.”

Like the album’s title insists, DJ EFN chose to craft an album that had the same vibe as the 90s rugged and raw hip-hop scene. Artists like N.W.A. and Public Enemy had aggressive-political content in their music and were still developing the genre’s popularity despite radio play.

“At that time hip-hop artists didn’t even want to be on the radio. The main scene at that time was forget the radio, the radio is for Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer, the radio was not what hip- hop is.”

Growing up through this era, EFN has decided to take the same approach and include current underground rappers, who have created their own following, without the mainstream/pop approach.Another Time features songs with veteran artists like Scarface and Redman, current artists Killer Mike and Your Old Droog as well as local talent Denzel Curry and Gunplay.

Being an early pioneer of Miami hip-hop mixtapes, EFN recalls a time when he

did whatever it took to get emerging artists like Outkast and Kanye West featured on his tapes.

“If they were performing in Miami, for a concert or whatever, I would roll up on them with my crew, hand them the microphone and be like, ‘What’s up I’m DJ EFN, I need you to drop a freestyle for my mixtape,’ on the spot. I knew nothing was going to be given to me and I felt like these guys needed to be heard in Miami.”