NF "Perception" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

NF quickly became one of the most watched new rappers in both secular and Christian circles with his major label debut "Mansion". It received massive critical acclaim that was, in my opinion, very well-deserved. It's a vulnerable, powerful and aggressive release that the rap genre needed. I personally liked his sophomore release "Therapy Session" even better. It really emphasized on the raw emotion and mostly took out the slightly off-putting arrogance Nate exuded occasionally in his debut. It's surprising to see that he has released yet another album this year, only a year after his past album, making his releases consecutive and consistent. With sixteen tracks and an hour long run time, it's certainly easy to see that the man is dedicated. While I think that "Perception" occasionally rehashes many of NF's themes and brings back his arrogant demeanor sometimes, it is still an overall solid album.

While this album is not as strong as a whole as his previous two, it does include many songs that I can see becoming significant favorites of mind. "Intro 3" somehow was able to improve over the previous two intros. I don't know how NF does it, but he's managed to make each of his intros more and more impressive in lyrical content, rap flow, and production. I couldn't help but smile when I heard the familiar epic production values, with the beautiful orchestration and powerful backing chorus. This is NF at his finest, and it's easily the best song on the album. Lyrically, this song gave me cold chills, as Nate has a "conversation" with his fear where it's revealed that his fear has been controlling him for too long: "Cryin' in your room like a baby/"I wish mom was here!" /We all do/So we wouldn't have to hear about it every single record/You don't really wanna change me/Yeah, I'm the one that made this happen/Do you really wanna get rid of your main attraction?". Those lines in particular left me speechless, as they're some of the most raw lyrics that he has written. The song is haunting and inspirational, as at the end of the song Nate reveals that "Therapy Session" was what really helped him overcome his fears, so he can now move on to being more passionate about his music. It's nice to see Nate writing a song that has a good outcome for him. While I love the songs where he pours his heart out, they're still hard to listen to over and over because of how raw they are. A song like this with such a good payoff will make me want to come back to it repeatedly.

"Outcast" is a worthy follow-up to the preceding song, as it's a five-minute banger in which NF discusses how he won't give in to the whims of the industry. He certainly seems to be living up to that image as he actually made his own record label for this album. Nate's critiques of popular rap are very legitimate, and it's nice to see him distance himself from making songs that objectify women and glorify money (although he has some problems with glorifying himself and his music sometimes-more on that later). I personally found this song to be a very fun listen all the way through, and it kept me interested throughout its run time. "10 Feet Down" is another big highlight for me, as this one includes a very good feature in Ruelle. This one also has Nate admitting that attempting to rise to the top and actually getting there are not as glorious of endeavors as they seem to be: "Yeah, seems like we're all trying to climb a ladder/It's crazy what we'll do to climb it faster/It's like we throw away the things in life that really matter/Just so that we can make it to the top, and wonder what we're even climbing after". There's a lot of truth to what he's saying here, and the way he words it is clever and interesting. The chorus of this song has a catchy vibe, with the distorted voice effects working well. Although "Green Lights" could be interpreted as being arrogant, I still can't help but see this song as just a pure fun hype track, and I can tell NF is enjoying himself.

"Let You Down" is certainly effective lead single, as it combines the honesty of NF's lyrics with the more accessible side of him that sings. This song has a lot more of him singing than usual, and I really like his singing voice. I've always wanted to hear what an NF song that mainly emphasized on singing would sound like, and this makes me want to hear even more. The song's subject matter of Nate apologizing to his father for constantly disappointing him is touching and personal. It feels fitting that he would make a song for his father on this album after making "How Could You Leave Us" in dedication to his mother on his previous album. The middle half of this album is a bit hit and miss, but there are some solid tracks. "Destiny" does exactly what you would expect: it has Nate contemplating what his destiny will be as an artist. "Know" and "Lie" have similar subject matter, and work in conjunction with each other; both of them showcase some solid production work as well. "Remember This" has NF in stream of consciousness mode, contemplating his fame, struggles in life, and relationships. This track sounds simple in concept, but because of how well-written it is, it stands out. The ending track "Outro" is another big highlight and really leaves this album out on a high note. It references all of NF's previous singles, making all the albums tie together in an interesting way that you should discover for yourself. Nate spits some impressive bars; his flow is absolutely on point. This song stays aggressive throughout, and I was left breathless by the end.

There are some glaring problems with "Perception" that keep it from reaching the great album status. One of them is that, in general, I feel like this album just doesn't have the same punch as NF's two previous works. After "Intro 3", I had thought that maybe this album would be all about crippling fear, and it certainly seems like it would be that way with the prison album cover. But, the album never really explores the concept of fear much beyond the first song, which is really disappointing. I think NF could've really made some interesting commentary on it. There are a few specific songs that I have issues with. Probably my least favorite track is "One Hundred". Similarly to "Real", this song has NF seeming to believe he's the only rapper who makes real music, and because of that, anyone who criticizes him in any way is a hater. I really don't care for this side of his personality. On one hand, I suppose this is still NF being honest with us, and he even admits in other songs on this album that he needs validation for his songwriting. But, this track just feels arrogant to me, and hypocritical in how NF thinks he's allowed to critique other rappers but no one can touch him.

The rest of the songs I don't really care for are more just because they feel a little generic. "My Life" is probably the most annoying song on this whole release, as it is super repetitive. It mainly says "my life" over and over again. Nate sounds way too subdued here, and his talented rapping is reduced to a drone; he even sounds a bit bored. "You're Special", while sweet in that it's dedicated to NF's girlfriend, is still too familiar sounding as a relationship song. It's pretty cliched, and its five-minute run-time is felt. The middle part of this album, while not having any awful songs, still is plagued by sameness. From "My Life" until "One Hundred", there are only a select few songs that drew my attention, so I don't see myself returning back to the middle part of this release any time soon.

So, maybe "Perception" doesn't quite hold up to the quality of its predecessors. But, that would be a very hard task to achieve, considering how great the previous two albums were. I think that NF should consider taking at least a year off before releasing another album, although I still admire his hard work and dedication. At this point, the subjects he talks about are starting to become more noticeable and predictable. It's not like they're bad subjects, but I think he could put a different spin on them. Still, I definitely enjoyed this album due to it having several songs which are amongst NF's best written material. Give this one a try, even if you aren't a fan. Then, I recommend you go Nate's excellent backing discography!

Favorite Tracks: "Intro 3", "Let You Down", "Outro", "10 Feet Deep", "Remember This"
Least Favorite Tracks: "One Hundred", "My Life", "You're Special"