Nathan John Feuerstein (born March 30, 1991), known by his initials NF (stylized as ), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has released two EPs, ''I'm Free'' (2012), and a
self-titled EP in 2014 with
Capitol CMG. His second and first major-label studio album, ''
Mansion
A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word ''manse'' originally defined a property l ...
'', was released on March 31, 2015. His third studio album, ''
Therapy Session'', was released on April 22, 2016, and peaked at number 12 on the US ''Billboard'' 200. His albums have earned several accolades, some of which include the
Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year (''Therapy Session'') in 2016 and the Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year (''Oh Lord'') in 2017.
NF achieved mainstream popularity in 2017 with ''
Perception''; the album charted at number one in the United States and was certified platinum, while its third single, "
Let You Down", reached number twelve on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was a top-five hit internationally. He achieved similar commercial success with his follow up ''
The Search'' (2019). Clouds was released in 2021. Feuerstein's most recent album, ''
Hope'', released on April 7, 2023, also had commercial success and peaked at number 2 on the US ''Billboard'' 200.
Early life
Nathan John Feuerstein
was born in
Gladwin, Michigan, on March 30, 1991.
He is the eldest of three and has two sisters. His parents divorced, and he was raised by his mother until his father had to take him away when her boyfriend abused him and one of his sisters. His mother died from an overdose of opioids in 2009, which led to him dedicating the song "How Could You Leave Us" to her. He graduated from
Gladwin High School in 2009, and was on the school's basketball team. NF started his career at the Fine Arts Festival, organized by Connection Church in
Canton, Michigan.
Career
Feuerstein has stated that during his childhood, hip hop was an escape for him. He would record songs on a
karaoke machine, recording instrumentals on one microphone and his rhymes on the other. On November 29, 2010, Feuerstein independently released his debut studio album ''Moments'' under his real name. On August 2, 2011, he released his debut single "Alone". The song featured songwriter and producer
Tommee Profitt and Brooke Griffith. In 2012, Feuerstein's work attracted the attention of Xist Music. On May 2, 2012, he released his debut extended play ''I'm Free'' with production work from Profitt. The tracklist consisted of nine songs including "Alone". The EP also included an exclusive version of "Alone" featuring Sean Simmonds. Xist teased for the release of the self-titled extended play ''
NF'', but Feuerstein parted ways with the label after a dispute and the production of ''NF'' was postponed.
Despite this, NF featured a song, "Only One", featuring Shuree Williams, in the label's compilation album, ''Move Vol 1''. He released a single, "Beautiful Addiction", on November 4, 2013. The song again featured an appearance from Profitt, as well as vocals from Brady Schmitz and Danielle Swift.
Feuerstein signed with
Capitol Christian Music Group in 2014, before the release of the EP ''NF''.
This project was his breakthrough release on the ''
Billboard'', as it charted on the
Christian Albums chart at No. 12, on the
Top Gospel Albums at No. 4, and on the
Top Rap Albums at No. 15.
This extended play was reviewed by Jesus Freak Hideout and New Release Tuesday, receiving two three-and-a-half-star reviews.
''
CCM Magazine'' reviewed the EP and awarded it four stars.
His first studio album, ''
Mansion
A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word ''manse'' originally defined a property l ...
'', was released on March 31, 2015, by Capitol CMG.
"Intro", the lead single from ''Mansion'', is included in the video game ''
Madden NFL 16''. NF's songs have been played on
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
,
VH1,
Showtime,
NBC's ''
Chicago P.D.'', ''
Grimm'', ''
Shades of Blue'', a trailer for an
Apex Legends update and in the season finale trailer of
Fox's ''
Empire
An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
''. His music video for "Intro" premiered on MTV.com's homepage, and the video has also appeared on
MTVU,
AbsolutePunk,
2DOPEBOYZ, Raps & Hustles and The College Dropouts.
NF's songs "I Just Wanna Know" and "Real" were released on April 8, 2016, and on April 22, 2016, respectively, as singles from his second studio album ''
Therapy Session'', released on April 22, 2016.
"Warm Up" was released as a non-album single on September 8, 2016.
On October 6, 2017, NF released his third studio album, ''
Perception''. The album debuted at No. 1 on the
''Billboard'' 200, making it his first chart-topping album and the second artist in 2017 to release a No. 1 album without having charted on the
Hot 100.
The next week, "
Let You Down" became his first single to chart on the Hot 100, debuting at 87. It became a
sleeper hit, taking 17 weeks to reach its peak at No. 12. After the success of ''Perception'', he announced he would begin touring mid-2018 with rappers
Logic and
Kyle. It was certified platinum—selling over 1,000,000 units—by the
RIAA on January 11, 2019.
His song "Destiny" is included in the video game ''
MLB The Show 18''.
In 2018, NF released the non-album single "
No Name" on January 19. Later, he would release the song "
Why", the first single preceding his fourth studio album.
On May 30, 2019, he released the title track of the album "
The Search". He would later release two more singles, "
When I Grow Up" on June 27, and "
Time
Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
" on July 12. ''
The Search'' was released on July 26.
On December 3, 2019, Feuerstein released the single "
Paid My Dues", as well as a music video for the song.
In October 2020, NF returned with the non-album single "Chasing_(Demo)", after sharing a snippet of it online. The song features 15-year-old Australian fan Mikayla Sippel, who uploaded a cover of it, which inspired NF to officially release the song after being "blown away" by her version.
On February 18, 2021, NF released the single "
Clouds", alongside a music video, and announced his mixtape of the same name, which was scheduled for a March 26, 2021, release. The mixtape included "Paid My Dues", as well as guest appearances from rappers
Hopsin (Lost/LOST) and
Tech N9ne (Trust/TRUST), followed by a third single, "
Lost" featuring Hopsin, released on March 11, 2021.
On March 26, 2021, ''
Clouds (The Mixtape)'' was released.
After a year-long absence from music, NF released a single "
Hope" on February 16, 2023, announcing his fifth studio album of the same name. He released another single entitled "
Motto" on March 9, 2023.
''Hope'' was released on April 7, 2023, along with the music video for the single "
Happy".
Artistry
Feuerstein has credited
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
as his prime influence in hip hop, claiming that at one point that was all he listened to. Feuerstein has also credited
Adele and
Ed Sheeran as influences to his music style and instrumental components. NF's style has also been compared to
Logic and
Machine Gun Kelly. Although he found his musical upbringing in
Christian hip-hop, Feuerstein has denied his label as a Christian rapper, saying "I'm a Christian, but I don't make Christian music. You're not going to reach everyone with just one point of view. I write about things I'm actually dealing with. You don't have to be Christian to relate to them."
In 2013, Feuerstein appeared on Christian hip-hop artist
Flame's album ''Royal Flush'' on the track "Start Over". In 2015, his features on
TobyMac's ''
This Is Not a Test'' track "Til the Day I Die" and Marty's ''Marty For President'' track "The One With My Friends" gained him fame and recognition in the Christian hip-hop genre. Feuerstein's 2017 collaboration with
Futuristic, "Epiphany", enhanced his career in the secular hip hop industry.
Tours
* Therapy Session Tour (2017)
*Perception Tour (2018)
*Perception World Tour (2018)
*The Search Tour (2019)
*Clouds Tour (2021)
*Hope Tour (2023–24)
Personal life
Family and relationships
Feuerstein began dating Bridgette Doremus in 2015. They married in September 2018 after three years of dating. Their first child, a son, was born in August 2021. Their second child, a daughter, was born in December 2023.
Mental health
Feuerstein was diagnosed with
OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) after the
''Perception'' tour in 2018. After the tour, he revealed that he was not well mentally and admitted himself into therapy where he was diagnosed. Feuerstein also has a history with
depression and
anxiety. Feuerstein has been very open about his mental health and translates his battles into his music. Talking about mental health and personal struggles is what makes his music appealing to his fan base. With his most recent album, ''
Hope'', Feuerstein claimed that his OCD had made it harder to produce an album, with ''Hope'' taking over a year and a half to create. He became fixated on the music, which made it harder to make a song that he enjoyed. As a result, Feuerstein has consulted a therapist specializing in OCD.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''Moments'' (2010)
* ''
Mansion
A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word ''manse'' originally defined a property l ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Therapy Session'' (2016)
* ''
Perception'' (2017)
* ''
The Search'' (2019)
* ''
Hope'' (2023)
Awards and nominations
References
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:NF
1991 births
Living people
21st-century American rappers
American hip-hop record producers
American hip-hop singers
21st-century American male rappers
American male singer-songwriters
American performers of Christian hip-hop
Capitol Records artists
Christians from Michigan
People from Gladwin, Michigan
People with obsessive–compulsive disorder
Rappers from Michigan
Record producers from Michigan
Singer-songwriters from Michigan