Let's face it: contemporary christian music is not a genre that produces quality music.
It's just a fact of life, it seems. Contemporary Christian music just plain sucks.
And don't get me started on Christian rap.
Besides maybe Lecrae, who is admittedly decent, the Christian rap genre has produced nothing but abysmal, nausea-inducing garbage.
Michael Tait has ruined the Newsboys, tobyMAC is literally the worst artist in the entire Christian music industry, and the less we speak of Nu Thang, the better.
However one Christian rapper is determined to defy all the garbage within the Christian rap genre by creating.....relatively mediocre music.
Nathan Feuerstein, or as he is known by his stage name, NF, is a Christian rapper out of Saginaw, Michigan. He's been producing some buzz in the Christian music industry and has gained a bit of an underground following. Fans like him for surprisingly genuine persona, great flow, introspective lyrics, and Eminem-esque passion.
What do I think of him? He's definitely some of these things.
NF does have passion. A lot of it. Most of it angry passion. Sometimes he utilizes this passion well. Sometimes he really, really doesn't.
I hesitate to call him the Christian Eminem, mostly because Eminem has more talent than he does, and Eminem also used his passion differently. Eminem used his "angry white boy" persona to sound dangerous, controversial, and scary. NF, however, doesn't seem exactly sure how he wants to use his passion.
It's pretty clear what image NF wants to craft in his music. He wants to be real and appear as genuine as possible. He succeeds at this when he pours his passion into making his lyrics a reflection of the sadness within himself. In simpler words, NF sounds more real when he makes himself appear more vulnerable.
However, sometimes he tries to use his passion to look as genuine as possible. Basically, he tries to yell at you that he is the genuine article. This comes across less as genuine and more as desperate. It really just sounds like NF is trying way too hard to appear relatable, which ironically makes him sound less relatable.
He also uses his passion to actually, genuinely brag on himself, and that's basically when NF is at his worst. Some of his brag lyrics are actually ok, but most of the time he comes across as a 14-year-old Eminem wannabe. Sort of reminds you of those angry white boys who listened to Eminem and tried to look just as "dangerous." NF actually does admit in one of his songs that he is a product of listening to Eminem growing up, and it shows in its most cringeworthy form when he makes brag tracks.
That being said, it's hard to deny that NF does have genuine lyrical talent, which, as I said before, manifests itself most prominently on tracks where he makes himself appear as vulnerable as he can.
This is because NF did actually had a bit of a rougher childhood growing up. His parents divorced when he was young and his mother died of a drug overdose, being addicted to drugs for as long as Nathan could remember.
NF is also good at showing the struggle to do the right thing despite overwhelming temptation that every Christian goes through. In some of his better tracks, he talks of pain he's felt throughout his life through some of the decisions he's made. He reiterates on several tracks that he's "a Christian but not perfect." It's clear that NF has committed some sins in his past he's ashamed of, just like anyone else, and he paints a pitiable picture of a man with regret. Coupling this with his childhood depressants, NF can craft some truly introspective songs.
Often times, NF's songs take on a very hit-or-miss theological aspect. He talks about his faith and the Christian faith directly on several tracks, some of which point out hypocrisies of human nature. When they're more self-reflective, these tracks have some interesting phrases within them that will make you look at yourself and realize that you are just as hypocritical as the song says you are.
However there are some tracks where NF yells at lost people and point out their hypocrisies, in which all self-reflection seems absent and thus makes NF look kind of like a pretentious jerk. However, I think this is just more a failure on NF as a writer than in NF's motivation. What I mean is: I don't think NF ever intends to lord over his listeners, saved or lost. Thus, tracks in which he sounds like he is trying to guilt the lost intentionally in order to save them may just be a different message lost in translation.
As far as his flow goes, NF is pretty solid. He sounds a lot like Eminem admittedly, however, his voice has its own authenticity, and he is not a bad rapper, per se. He is also a halfway decent singer, and he sometimes sings along with the guest hooks on some of his songs. There are even some tracks where he sings the hook himself.
In all honesty, all of NF's shortcomings stem from his lyrical downfalls. If he could improve his writing, possibly by focusing more on his own vulnerability and his theology, NF could truly mold himself into one of the only, if not THE only, good Christian rappers. He's released an EP and two albums so far since 2014. NF is early enough in his career to make improvements and at a later date he could produce a truly valuable piece of art. What he really needs is some solid direction, whether from within himself or someone else.
And after all, when your contemporaries are Michael Tait and tobyMAC, it's only uphill from there.
BONUS CONTENT: Hey, if you're interested in checking out NF (making me way better at this than I think I am) I'd like to help you out by giving a quick mini-list of NF's best and worst songs. NF's entire discography is on Spotify, so it's all just one search away.
GOOD SONGS:
"MANSION" FT. FLEURIE (FROM MANSION, 2015)- This one of NF's songs in which he looks his most vulnerable. He compares his own internal struggles to a mansion, sort of giving you a tour of a mansion, and thus by extension, himself. He describes his mansion as a structure that looks big and strong but hides a lot of pain. It's a solid track that provides an emotional perspective on NF's life that is both symbolic and nuanced.
"HOW COULD YOU LEAVE US" (FROM THERAPY SESSION, 2016)- This song is directly aimed at NF's dead mother. On this track NF lets loose a torrent of anger at his mother for leaving him and his father and choosing loving drugs over loving him. Following the anger is NF at his most pitiful-sounding and desperate as he asks his mother why she did what she did. It's a genuinely sorrowful and bitter track that makes NF look the most authentic as both a hurt child and a disgusted adult. This one is probably my favorite.
"OH LORD" (FROM THERAPY SESSION, 2016)- This is probably NF's best theological track. It's a direct address to God himself, talking to him about how hypocritical human beings are, how Christians can fail utterly sometimes, and other such musings. NF basically asks God several questions including, "Do you ever get tired of this?" It's a song that'll make you look at yourself and wonder how you've disappointed the Lord, which is something we all need to confront sometimes.
BAD SONGS:
"REAL" (FROM THERAPY SESSION, 2016)- This isn't necessarily NF's worst song, but it's definitely his most confused. The main theme and purpose behind this song is that NF is trying to convince his audience how "real" he is. However, he peppers brag track lyrics with lyrics that try too hard to make his image appear genuine, and basically what is produced is a conflict of interest. Is he real, or is he just trying to convince you that he's awesome? Either way, he sounds dumb.
"WAKE UP" (FROM MANSION, 2015)- This is the song where NF yells at lost people to "wake up" from their illusion that there is no God. He sounds less like someone trying to witness and more like a street corner preacher that scares everyone on the sidewalk. It's definitely NF at his least appealing and I wouldn't recommend it to show to your lost friends saying, "We Christians can make music, too!" You might get punched in the throat.
" MOTIVATED" (FROM MANSION, 2015)- This is basically just NF yelling that he's MOTIVATED over and over again. It's obnoxious.
"TURN THE MUSIC UP" (FROM MANSION, 2015)- NF tries making a dance track. It's bad. Let me put it this way: it's his "God's Great Dance Floor."
