- ♪ Why would you leave me? ♪
- Oh my god. I'm gonna cry. - Oh... my god.
Is he a Christian rapper? ♪ (industrial intro) ♪ - ♪ People ask me
where the future is ♪ - I don't know who this is. - I have no idea who this is. - I don't know who it is, I don't.
But I've seen this video. - ♪ You don't like me,
that makes four of us ♪ - Honestly, this normally
isn't the music I listen to. - ♪ I'm living life
in the fast lane ♪ ♪ Wake up every morning,
thinking I'ma have a bad day ♪ - Okay, he has bars. - ♪ Park then I go
into my mind with an AK ♪ ♪ Shoot every thought
in my head then it rotates ♪ - This is pretty good.
I like it. - I bet people are gonna
be like, "Oh, he's like Eminem" or some [bleep].
- For some reason, I get this Eminem vibe from him. - I just see a white rapper,
I'm like, "Eminem!" - It's catchy. - ♪ Even when talking to God ♪
♪ Sit in my room and I plot ♪ - All right. I don't listen
to a lot of rap music, but that is the kind
that I listen to. - There's nothing there
that really has a pizzazz. It's forgettable. - He reminded me of
a little more aggressive Logic, 'cause Logic types more
about social issues. - ♪ All these voices
in my head get loud ♪ - This one, I've heard.
- ♪ I wish that I could shut... ♪ - Oh, oh! Okay,
I recognize him now. - (gasps) Yes!
I've heard this song. - ♪ I'm sorry that I let you down ♪
- This sounds super familiar. I have to have heard
this one before. - ♪ I don't wanna
make you disappointed ♪ ♪ It's annoying ♪
♪ I just wanna make you... ♪ - Help him! - ♪ But I guess the more
you thought about everything ♪ ♪ You were never even wrong
in the first place... ♪ - This video is scary. - ♪ Please don't come after me ♪
♪ I just wanna be alone right now ♪ ♪ I don't really
wanna think at all ♪ - Whoa.
- Is that supposed to be his dad and it's just
watching him suffer? - ♪ I don't even wanna
go to your house ♪ ♪ Every time I sit on that couch ♪
♪ I feel like you lecture me ♪ ♪ Eventually, I bet that we
could have made this work ♪ ♪ And probably would've
figured things out ♪ - So, mm. This is deep. - ♪ Oh, you wanna be friends now? ♪
- Oh my gosh. If you listen to the lyrics,
it's really sad. - ♪ Must have missed that joke ♪ ♪ Let me see
if I can find a reaction ♪ - (raps along) ♪ Nope,
but at least you're happy ♪ It's one of my favorites from him. This hits for me
on a personal level. - Who hurt you?
What happened? I wanna go hug my dad now. - I really like when people
take rap and make art from it. It's like spoken word poetry. - ♪ I don't know what it's like
to be addicted to pills ♪ ♪ But I do know what it's like
to be a witness it kills ♪ - I've seen the video
for this one, and this one makes me so sad. - ♪ ...relationship is something
we will never have ♪ - (sighs) When they
put kids like that. Imagine going through
those things when you're a kid. - ♪ I ain't gonna say
that I forgive you 'cause it hasn't happened ♪ ♪ I thought that maybe I'd
feel better as time passes ♪ ♪ If you really cared for me,
then where you at then? ♪ ♪ Why would you leave us? ♪
- Damn, that's deep. - ♪ Why would you leave us? ♪ ♪ How could you leave us? ♪
- Oh my god. I'm gonna cry. - ♪ Our last conversation,
you and I sat in the living room ♪ ♪ Talking about my music,
and I brought you some to listen to ♪
- What would we do without music? Honestly.
- ♪ A couple weeks later, I guess you were
singing a different tune ♪ ♪ You took them pills
for the last time, didn't you? ♪ ♪ It took you from us once ♪
- This is heavy. - It's good because it's real. - Holy crap.
- (NF) You should've been here. - Oh my god.
- (NF) Pills got you, right? - Oh, but he has a memory
of his mom smiling, which is cute.
- (NF) I wish you were here. - Woo, Jesus.
- I don't know what I would do if I lost my mom. So to watch this,
and then to know people that have gone through
the same struggle, it hurts. - ♪ Somebody get the body bags ♪
♪ Working with the beats and ♪ ♪ Put the MCs in 'em ♪
♪ Season 'em ♪ - This is tight.
That's cool, an airplane. - ♪ You rappers
ain't hungry enough ♪ - "You rappers
ain't hungry enough." - ♪ I've been through hell
all my life, though ♪ ♪ But I know where Heaven is ♪
♪ Father, forgive me for I am a sinner ♪ ♪ But you gave me
music as medicine, woo ♪ - Ah, that was such a good...
oh my god! - I like this song. - ♪ And if God ain't real,
real isn't ♪ - Each song he has
has a very deep story in it. I'm shaking.
- It hurts to listen to this, not because it's bad,
but because it's so real. - ♪ All I ever wanted
was somebody to heal me ♪ ♪ And all I ever wanted
was somebody to feel me ♪ - This is an older video of him? - This was probably some
of his first [bleep], huh? - He looks different
in every video. (chuckles) - ♪ I quit recording ♪
♪ Quick, record this ♪ ♪ Listen, I'm warming up
and you're misinformed ♪ ♪ If you think... ♪
- This is a really different vibe. - ♪ Skip the chorus ♪
♪ I've been here ♪ ♪ Ain't nobody heard of me? ♪ ♪ Yeah, I'ma turn this beat
to a murder scene ♪ - Oh my god. ♪ Don't tell me
this ain't how I feel ♪ - He has a good voice. - ♪ I stand behind these words,
and I'm a Christian, but I'm not perfect ♪
- Is he a Christian rapper? - Is he Christian? - ♪ Yeah, it might take
a minute to get it ♪ ♪ But once you get it,
everything will be crystal clear ♪ - Ohh. Check you out. I actually kind of really like this. - I've seen it before.
I've heard it before. They're all the same. - It kind of sounds
like a replica Eminem, just kind of talking
about previous kind of... just [bleep] that you battled with.
- That was so good. I hope they're really
listening to what he's saying and really taking that in,
because these are some serious things
that people go through and talk about
and issues that we're having. And he's tackling them
in a really great way. - (FBE) So those were all
music videos from rapper, NF. - I've never heard of him,
but I'm impressed by him. - Seen his videos on
the recommended page on YouTube. - (FBE) He's one of the most
requested artists we've seen from our fans in a while.
- Good. He needs... oh my god.
He is so talented. - (FBE) But before we dive in
to some questions, we have some lyrics
from two of his songs, "All I Have" and "Real"
for you to read and tell us what you think.
- Okay. - "What you're hearing now
is me whether I'm in front or behind the curtain." - "I stand behind these words here. I'm a Christian,
but I'm not perfect." Oh, fire.
- Oh... my god. Is he a Christian rapper? - "If that's my calling
or not, Father, maybe I should just not bother." - "Go back to that nine to five,
but I am not a quitter, so quit that."
- So I feel like he's kind of saying that he's been called
to be a rapper. - "Father, forgive me,
for I am a sinner. But you gave me music
as medicine, woo." - "'Cause you know
I'm real with it, don't care if you're feeling it,
I'm feeling it." - "You don't like it?
Then deal with it. And if God ain't real,
real isn't." Wow!
- Religion is one of the most complicated emotional things ever,
because everybody feels it on a different level.
It's so interesting to just hear him kind of flow
his emotions straight out of that place.
- (FBE) So NF is signed to Capital Christian Music Group,
an expressly Christian label. And he's considered by many
to be a Christian rapper. - Wow. I've never heard
of that before. - (FBE) But he doesn't
categorize himself as such, stating, "If you're a Christian
and you're a plumber, are you a Christian plumber?"
- No, you're just your thing. Yeah, there's too many labels
for some reason. - He just considers himself
a rapper. That makes sense. - (FBE) As a Christian yourself,
do lyrics like these in music like this
make you connect more, or would you rather
not have religion used like this? - I think that it makes me
connect more to it just because it's so real.
It's just a part of the music, and if you listen for it,
you hear it. And if you don't wanna hear it,
just listen to the song. - He's taking something
that I wouldn't usually listen to using something that I know
that I could relate to and then kind of making me
appreciate it a little bit more. - I'd kind of rather not
have religion in the music, not necessarily 'cause I'm offended
by it. I have faith, but I'm not super devoted.
I like to, you know, have my music separate.
- (FBE) For someone who is not Christian, does this type
of lyric or music turn you off to the artist or not
make you connect as much? - No, it doesn't matter to me.
I'll continue to listen to it if it has Christian lyrics or not. - I could care less
what his background is. He's just talking
about cool stuff, and I can relate
to what his message is. - I am not
a religious man whatsoever, but I can appreciate the concept
of people needing religion. And so, I can appreciate
the kind of perspective that he's bringing to the table
from a religious viewpoint even if it's not
necessarily my viewpoint. - (FBE) Well, not only
is his music charting in the Christian hip-hop market,
it's also having a major impact on the mainstream hip-hop market
with his latest album, "Perception," taking the number one spot
on the Billboard charts. - What? That's so cool.
That has to be the first time that a Christian rapper
has done that. - (FBE) Even though
this dual success provides a wider reach, do you think playing
to both a mainstream audience as well as a more niche
Christian audience will help or hurt his career?
- I think if you're a good enough musician,
it should break all barriers. - He's not only saying, "Oh, this music
is just for Christians," or "Oh, this music
is just for the secular world," you know? It's for everybody! - The fact that he tries
to not label himself a Christian artist
is probably gonna help him in the mainstream
with everybody else. But the fact
that he's Christian also is gonna pull in the Christians
who like that music. - I don't think it'll necessarily
affect the direction his career goes because he's not making music
to be a Christian rapper, and he's not making music
to be a rapper. He's just kind of
making music to put out there. So anybody that likes it
regardless of why they're listening to it
will listen to it. - Well, recently, NF has said,
"I've been doing this for a long time, so it's nice
to know that some of this hard work has paid off. Honestly,
it's moving me to keep working, keep working hard, and keep moving."
So after listening to some of his music today
and learning more about him, what do you think
the future holds for NF? - I think that there are
big things in store for him. He's just doing what he likes
and making good quality music, not worrying about
what everyone thinks about it. And I think that anytime
someone just does what they want and doesn't really cater
to what the world needs, I think that he's
gonna do great. - He definitely has a message,
and he definitely has an audience, which is fantastic.
I think if he continues going the way he's going,
sure, he's gonna continue to see success.
- He's not just some run of the mill artist.
He has a uniqueness to himself and it's something
that a lot of people need to be exposed to.
- I'm super excited that he's on the show,
because I want nothing more than everybody to listen to him
and get exposed to that. And I would love for him to blow up. I think he's really good,
and he deserves it. - Thanks for watching
another episode of College Kids React.
- If you wanna see more, then subscribe and hit the bell
like Joni Linder and Cameron S. - Have another favorite artist
you want us to react to? Let us know in the comments.
- Hi, guys. JC here, producer at FBE.
Thanks so much for watching this episode of College Kids React.
Do you wanna know how we put all these shows together?
Make sure to follow us on all our social media.
The links are down in the description below.
Bye, guys.
