NF – Perception and Hope

Two albums, one artist: NF.

Perception was released in 2017, Hope in 2023.

Nathan John Feuerstein, known as NF, comes from Michigan and is one of the most interesting voices in modern American rap. His lyrics are strongly autobiographical: a difficult childhood, family breakdowns and the early death of his mother. These themes run through his music. Several Dove Awards, platinum certifications and multiple number-one albums on the Billboard charts speak for themselves.

Perception: raw and full of pressure

He is extraordinarily successful without relying on typical rap clichés. He keeps developing, and that is exactly what you hear when you place two of his albums side by side.

On Perception, NF is still raw and full of pressure. Fast flows and dark, almost cinematic beats. You hear influences from Eminem, particularly in the pace and emphasis.

Let You Down became his big breakthrough. Emotional, direct and full of inner tension.

Hope: a different phase

Hope shows a very different phase. More singing. More melody. More control.

The beats are more open, less dark, less aggressive. You sense the development and the change of perspective.

Both are brilliant in their own right, but in completely different ways.

What stays with me

A development you can hear

That is exactly what makes it interesting: you hear an artist developing while remaining unmistakably himself.