Nathan John Feurestein, better known by his stage name NF (born March 30, 1991) is an American rapper who has charted in both the Christian hip hop markets and recently the mainstream markets.
Known for filling his lyrics with raw emotion and brutal honesty, NF had a rather dark past and uses his music to tell his stories. He debuted his first album Moments in 2010 under his real name.
Once he started gaining popularity, he started going by NF and introduced his first album Mansion under the name in 2015, earning him the 62nd spot on the Billboard 200. The album gained positive reviews for his songwriting, especially since his content was surprisingly dark for a Christian artist.
His second album Therapy Session was released in 2016 and topped the Rap Albums chart, proving to be not only darker than the first album, but filled with more of the same hard-hitting pathos his songs are known for.
However, his 2017 album Perception has become his most successful EP to date, becoming his first album to top the Billboard 200 and his first album to be certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), establishing him in the mainstream. His song "Let You Down" from the aforementioned album reached No. 1 on the Mainstream Top 40.
NF's songs show examples of:
- Album Intro Track: The first songs of his albums Mansion, Therapy Session, and Perception respectively are simply titled "Intro", "Intro 2", and "Intro III", also counting as Sequel Songs.
- Album Title Drop: "Mansion" and "Therapy Session"
- Anti-Love Song: "Lie" is about how his ex-lover wants to keep their relationship going at least as a friendship, but he doesn't want to since she's been ignoring him most of the time.I heard you told your friends that I'm just not your type,
If that's how you really feel then why'd you call last night? - Boastful Rap: Two examples are "Green Lights" and "Grindin'"
- Content Warning: The music video for "Therapy Session" starts off with a viewer discretion message due to disturbing images and content.
- Dare to Be Badass: His song "Outro", complete with brief self-deprecation before finally motivating himself.We about to shatter the critics
I am a savage I admit it
A lot of baggage I live in
That's why the passion is different
Really don't care if they get it
We're only three records in it, and this is just the beginning - Dark and Troubled Past: His mother was a drug addict who died of an overdose, and his song "Mansion" and
Word of God imply he was abused by his mother's boyfriend. - Darker and Edgier: Compared to most Christian artists, NF isn't afraid to tackle controversial topics in his music such as self-harm, drug addiction, and abuse. Justified in that he doesn't consider himself a Christian rapper to remain mainstream.
- Drugs Are Bad: His song "How Could You Leave Us?" is a heartbreaking tune of how he was slowly losing his mom to drug addiction until she eventually died of an overdose.
- False Friend: "I Just Wanna Know". And while "Lie" is about an unreliable romantic partner, one could still apply it to fake friendships as well.
- Fighting from the Inside: The titular mansion from the track of the same name represents Nate's mind as he tries to hide from his insecurities and his past.My mind is a home I'm trapped in
and it's lonely inside this mansion - Genre Deconstruction: Tends to be this for rap and hip-hop as his songs often question and criticize characteristics often associated with those genres such as debauchery and pervasive swearing.
- Harsh Vocals: Often sings in a gruff angry voice in his more personal songs. Just listen to "Mansion" and "How Could You Leave Us?" for proof.
- Heel–Faith Turn: Inverted in "10 Feet Down":Church is where I found God,
but it's also where I learned to judge. - Leave Me Alone!: His reaction to building the titular "Mansion"I know that shutting the world out ain't solving the problem
But I didn't build this house because I thought it would solve 'em
I built it because I thought that it would be safer in there
But it's not, I'm not the only thing that's living in here - Let the Past Burn: What he wishes he could do in "Mansion", which is clearly proving to be one of his deepest songs.
- Ominous Music Box Tune: The opening and background of "Therapy Session" and "When I Grow Up".
- Real Life Writes the Song: Many moments of his life (particularly the darker parts) have both influenced his music and even made way into it. He delivers a few anecdotes in "Therapy Session" and even Special Guest Marty's wedding is mentioned in "Grindin'".
- "Reason You Suck" Speech: It's more of a "Reason You Suck" Rap, but "Let You Down" would definitely count.
- Sdrawkcab Speech: Most of Ruelle's verses in "10 Feet Down"
- Suddenly SHOUTING!: Happens a lot in his songs, especially his most personal ones.
- Surprisingly Gentle Song: "If You Want Love" and "Dreams"
- Take That!: Mostly to those he feels take advantage of their success.You are not a baller 'cause your closet's full of Jordans
You are not a rich man 'cause you're on the Forbes list- However, he was a little more direct in "Outro":It's not 'cause I'm a "Rap God"
I don't need you people to bow to me
All they ever did was doubted me, now everyone's proud of me
- However, he was a little more direct in "Outro":
