Nathan John Feuerstein (born March 30, 1991, in Gladwin, Michigan), known professionally as NF (stylized as ИF), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is one of the most commercially successful artists to emerge from the Christian hip-hop space, having placed multiple albums at number one on the Billboard 200 without mainstream radio backing or the typical major-label machinery behind him. His 2017 single “Let You Down” was certified triple Platinum in the United States and charted internationally. His studio albums Perception (2017) and The Search (2019) both debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making him one of the few artists in any genre to achieve back-to-back number one debuts independently. NF is known for writing without profanity, drawing on deep personal pain, and refusing to be boxed into the Christian music category while never running from his faith.
Early Life and Background
Childhood in Gladwin, Michigan
NF grew up in Gladwin, a small town in mid-Michigan with a population of just a few thousand people. His parents divorced when he was very young. After the divorce, he and his two younger sisters were raised by their mother, whose boyfriend physically abused both NF and one of his sisters. His father eventually had to intervene and take the children away to protect them.
His mother struggled with addiction to opioids throughout his childhood. She died from an overdose in 2009, the same year NF graduated from Gladwin High School. He was 18. He later wrote the song “How Could You Leave Us” as a direct response to her death, one of the most raw and honest pieces of music in his catalog. He did not clean it up or make it neat. He just told the truth about what it felt like to watch a parent destroy herself.
His grandfather was a pastor at the local church, which exposed NF to Christian faith from an early age. That faith became both a foundation and a tension that runs through everything he has made. He was not raised in a happy home, but he was raised with an awareness of God. What those two things do to each other is largely what his music is about.
Music as an Escape
NF started recording on a karaoke machine as a child, putting an instrumental track on one microphone and rapping into the other. It was not sophisticated. It was just the only outlet he had. The practice of turning pain into lyrics started there, in a small Michigan home, long before anyone was listening.
He excelled at basketball in high school and was a member of the Gladwin High School basketball team. He graduated in 2009. The same year, his mother died. The two events happening within months of each other made 2009 a year that NF has referenced repeatedly across his career.
The Fine Arts Festival
NF began building his skills through the Fine Arts Festival, a nationwide Christian competition organized by the Assemblies of God. Connection Church in Canton, Michigan hosted the events he participated in. He placed second in the nationwide competition in 2008 and first in Michigan in 2009. Those finishes told him that what he was making had a real audience beyond his bedroom.
Music Career
Moments and the Independent Beginning
On November 29, 2010, NF released his debut album Moments independently under his real name, through Xist Music. The album caught the attention of Christian music circles and eventually led to a label deal. The arrangement with Xist was short-lived. An EP was announced but never released, and the two parted ways. NF came back with a self-released, self-titled EP in 2014, which he put out on his own before Capitol Christian Music Group (Capitol CMG) noticed and signed him.
The self-titled EP charted at number 12 on the Christian Albums chart, number four on Gospel Albums, and number 15 on Rap Albums. For a project with no label push behind it, those numbers were enough to make Capitol CMG pay attention.
Mansion: The First Major-Label Album
Mansion was released on March 31, 2015, through Capitol CMG. It debuted at number 62 on the Billboard 200 and hit number one on the Top Christian Albums chart. The production was cinematic and heavy, unlike anything the Christian rap world had heard before. The title track featured Fleurie and opened with an extended metaphor that became NF’s signature visual language: his mind is the mansion, and the rooms are full of things he cannot control.
The song “Intro” was later included on the Madden NFL 16 video game soundtrack, a crossover moment that introduced NF to an entirely new audience that had no connection to Christian music.
The album’s themes, addiction, family trauma, inner torment, and the presence of God in dark places, established NF’s lane clearly. This was not safe Christian music. It was honest music that happened to be made by someone who believed in God.
Therapy Session: Breaking Into the Mainstream
Therapy Session arrived on April 22, 2016, and moved NF decisively into the mainstream conversation. It debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200, hit number one on both the Christian Albums and R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, and won the GMA Dove Award for Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year. The album featured the widely shared single “Got You On My Mind” and continued his examination of mental health, family wounds, and faith.
Critics outside Christian circles began paying attention. NF was showing up in mainstream hip-hop discussions, drawing comparisons to Eminem for his rapid-fire delivery, Michigan roots, and willingness to put personal pain directly on record. Those comparisons were not unfounded. NF has openly credited Eminem as his biggest musical influence, saying he listened to Eminem for four years before making his own music. The sonic resemblance is deliberate.
Perception: Number One on the Billboard 200
Perception, released October 6, 2017, was the album that made NF impossible to ignore. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, beating out Gwen Stefani, Marilyn Manson, and Lil Pump. For a Christian rap artist on Capitol CMG, debuting at number one on the overall chart was not supposed to happen. It happened anyway.
The single “Let You Down” became the biggest song of his career. It peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified triple Platinum by the RIAA. It also charted internationally, reaching audiences in the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The song speaks to the fear of disappointing someone you love, and its emotional directness hit people regardless of their faith background.
NF was now something new: a Christian rapper who was winning on mainstream charts without crossing over in the usual way. He had not changed his music to appeal to secular audiences. The secular audience had come to him.
The Search: Back-to-Back Number Ones
The Search, released September 13, 2019, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. NF became one of only a handful of artists in any genre to score back-to-back Billboard 200 number one debuts. The album was his most personal to that point, dealing openly with mental health struggles, the cost of fame, and a search for meaning that went beyond easy answers.
Songs like “Only,” “Hate Myself,” and “Leave Me Alone” were direct prayers addressed to God, written in the language of someone wrestling rather than someone who has arrived. USA Today noted that NF was framing these songs explicitly as conversations with God, which was unusual for music sitting at the top of the mainstream charts.
CLOUDS (The Mixtape) and Going Fully Independent
In 2021, NF released CLOUDS (THE MIXTAPE), his most collaborative project to date. It included “PAID MY DUES” and featured appearances from Hopsin on “LOST” and Tech N9ne on “TRUST.” The mixtape allowed NF to work with artists outside the Christian label ecosystem while staying fully in control of his creative direction. It also debuted strongly on the charts, further confirming that his audience followed him regardless of format.
Around this period, NF began operating through his own imprint, NF Real Music. His subsequent releases, including the 2025 EP FEAR, have come through NF Real Music in partnership with Capitol Records rather than Capitol CMG. It was a meaningful distinction: he had moved from the Christian label to the mainstream parent company while remaining the same artist.
Hope: Processing the Other Side
Hope was released on April 7, 2023, and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. Where The Search had documented a descent, Hope documented something closer to recovery, or at least the desire for it. The lead single, also titled “Hope,” was an anthem about choosing to keep going when everything in you wants to stop. It connected with listeners dealing with depression and anxiety in ways that crossed every demographic line.
The single “HAPPY” came with a music video that showed NF in unusually warm, domestic settings. For someone whose visual brand had always been dark and isolated, it was a noticeable shift. He was not pretending the darkness was gone. He was showing that it was possible to hold both.
FEAR EP: Back Into the Dark
Released November 14, 2025, the FEAR EP was NF’s most jarring release because of what preceded it. After Hope had suggested progress, FEAR arrived as honest evidence that healing is not a straight line.
The title track opens with a reference to Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” and addresses God directly: “Is this what You wanted?” NF admits his OCD has worsened and questions whether he might be schizophrenic. It is one of the most unguarded pieces of music in his catalog.
The EP features Machine Gun Kelly on “Who I Was” and James Arthur on “Sorry,” two of the most high-profile collaborations in NF’s career. FEAR earned 76,000 equivalent album units in its first week and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, making it the biggest rap album debut of 2025. Multiple tracks entered the Hot 100. Critics praised the project’s refusal to perform recovery it had not yet experienced.
Discography Overview
| Year | Project | Type | Notable Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Moments | Album | Independent debut; attracted Capitol CMG attention |
| 2012 | I’m Free | EP | Early Xist Music release |
| 2014 | NF (Self-Titled EP) | EP | Christian Albums #12; Gospel Albums #4; signed to Capitol CMG |
| 2015 | Mansion | Album | Billboard 200 #62; Christian Albums #1; “Intro” on Madden NFL 16 |
| 2016 | Therapy Session | Album | Billboard 200 #12; Christian Albums #1; GMA Dove Award for Rap/Hip-Hop Album |
| 2017 | Perception | Album | Billboard 200 #1; “Let You Down” – Triple Platinum RIAA; Hot 100 #12 |
| 2019 | The Search | Album | Billboard 200 #1 (back-to-back #1 debuts) |
| 2021 | CLOUDS (The Mixtape) | Mixtape | Feat. Hopsin and Tech N9ne; strong chart debut |
| 2023 | Hope | Album | Billboard 200 #2 |
| 2025 | FEAR | EP | Billboard 200 #4; biggest rap album debut of 2025; feat. Machine Gun Kelly and James Arthur |
Personal Life
Marriage to Bridgette Doremus
NF began dating Bridgette Doremus in 2015. They married in September 2018. Bridgette is an entrepreneur and fitness influencer, the founder of the health and wellness brand Halfway Hippie and the earlier Stripped Fitness platform. She is a certified health coach with a background in integrative nutrition and has built her own audience around faith, wellness, and lifestyle content.
Bridgette is not a passive presence in NF’s life. She is described across his interviews as a stabilizing force, particularly through the OCD diagnosis period and the years of intense touring and album cycles. Their relationship has not been a public performance. They have been consistently private about the details of their home life.
Children
NF and Bridgette have two children. Their son, Beckham John Feuerstein, was born on August 13, 2021. Their daughter, Leighton, was born in late 2023. Bridgette announced the second pregnancy on Instagram in June 2023.
NF has spoken in interviews about the weight of becoming a father given his own childhood. His father had to rescue him from an abusive situation. His mother died from addiction. The decision to be a present parent was not casual for him. It was a deliberate act of breaking a cycle.
Mental Health: OCD, Depression, and Anxiety
Following the Perception Tour in 2018, NF was formally diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He has also spoken openly about depression and anxiety throughout his career. These are not just lyrical themes. They are documented medical realities that have shaped his output and his timeline between projects.
The gap between Hope (2023) and the FEAR EP (2025) reflected a period when his OCD worsened rather than improved. The FEAR EP documented that regression publicly rather than hiding it. His willingness to say “I thought I was better and I was wrong” is one of the most credible things any artist dealing with mental health has put on record.
Faith, Religion, and Theology
Is NF Christian?
Yes, NF is a Christian. His faith is not a label attached to his music for marketing purposes. It is the lens through which he processes everything he writes about. He prays in his songs, questions God in his songs, argues with God in his songs, and credits God in the same breath that he admits he is struggling. That is not the faith of someone doing it for an audience. That is the faith of someone who actually has to live with it.
His grandfather was a pastor, which gave him an early framework for Christianity. His life did not fit neatly into that framework, which is partly why his music has always pushed against the clean, tidy version of Christian expression. He did not grow up in a protected environment. He grew up in a broken one, and he brought that reality into his music rather than leaving it at the door.
His Relationship with the “Christian Rapper” Label
NF has consistently resisted being reduced to the label “Christian rapper.” His position is straightforward: he is an artist who makes music for everybody, and his faith is part of who he is, not a genre descriptor. He has signed with Capitol CMG and later moved to Capitol Records proper through NF Real Music, reflecting a trajectory from the Christian label ecosystem toward a broader platform without abandoning the content that made him.
He does not use profanity in his music. He does not glorify substances or violence. He writes about God directly and regularly. By any standard definition, he is a Christian artist. His hesitation with the label is about not wanting listeners who need his music to dismiss it before they hear it because of a genre category.
The Mansion Metaphor
From his 2015 debut, NF introduced a recurring visual and lyrical metaphor: his mind is a mansion, and the rooms contain different versions of his fears, memories, and inner voices. The 2025 FEAR EP cover art shows a mansion burning, a deliberate callback to the original image. The mansion has appeared in music videos, album art, and lyrics across a decade of work. It is the most sustained extended metaphor in Christian hip-hop.
The Eminem Comparison
The comparison to Eminem has followed NF since his early career. The parallels are genuine. Both are white rappers from Michigan with rapid-fire technical delivery. Both built careers on raw personal pain. Both came from broken homes with absent or struggling parents. Both built massive audiences without initially being embraced by mainstream hip-hop radio.
NF has addressed the comparison directly and without irritation. He credits Eminem as his prime musical influence and says he listened to Eminem for four years before making his own music. He does not deny the inspiration. What separates them is content: NF raps without profanity, without violence, and without the kind of shock value that defined Eminem’s early work. They share a technical style and a biographical rawness. They are pointing that style in very different directions.
To answer the search question directly: NF is not related to Eminem. They are both Michigan rappers, both influenced by personal trauma, and both capable of record chart success that surprised the industry. That is where the connection begins and ends.
Influence and Legacy
NF did something specific for music that sits between Christian and mainstream rap: he proved the two labels are not mutually exclusive on a commercial level. Two Billboard 200 number one debuts, triple Platinum certification, international chart appearances, and a 2025 EP that became the year’s biggest rap debut, all without profanity, all with God in the lyrics, all while refusing to call himself a Christian rapper.
His impact on listeners dealing with mental health is hard to measure but easy to observe. The comments on his videos and the reaction to every project consistently include people saying his music was the first place they felt understood. Not fixed. Not told what to do. Just seen. That is a different kind of ministry than most Christian artists attempt.
He opened a lane for artists who write honest music about faith and pain without airbrushing either one. His willingness to question God, express doubt, and document relapse while remaining a believer gave permission to a generation of listeners who felt their faith was too complicated for the standard Christian music format.
NF Net Worth
NF’s net worth is estimated at between $6 million and $8 million as of 2026, according to sources including Celebrity Net Worth. His income includes album and streaming revenue, touring, merchandise, and production work. Multiple Platinum and Gold certifications, two Billboard 200 number one albums, and consistent touring across North America and internationally support the higher end of those estimates.
Awards and Recognition
- GMA Dove Award for Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year for Therapy Session (2016)
- Multiple GMA Dove Award nominations across multiple albums
- RIAA Triple Platinum certification for “Let You Down”
- Two Billboard 200 number one albums: Perception (2017) and The Search (2019)
- “Let You Down” certified Platinum in Australia, Canada, and the UK
- FEAR EP debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 in 2025, the biggest rap album debut of that year
Interesting Facts About NF
- He started recording music on a karaoke machine as a child, using one microphone for the instrumental and rapping into the other.
- His mother died from an opioid overdose in 2009, the same year he graduated from high school. He wrote “How Could You Leave Us” directly in response to her death.
- He placed second in a nationwide Fine Arts Festival rap competition in 2008 and first in Michigan in 2009, before signing with any label.
- His track “Intro” appeared on the Madden NFL 16 video game soundtrack, introducing him to millions of gamers who had never heard of Christian hip-hop.
- He is one of a very small number of artists in any genre to score back-to-back number one debuts on the Billboard 200.
- He was diagnosed with OCD after the Perception Tour in 2018, a detail that reframed how many listeners heard his earlier music about mental health.
- His 2025 EP FEAR became the biggest rap album debut of that year with 76,000 equivalent album units in its first week, beating projects from artists with far larger mainstream profiles.
- He has never used profanity in any released track across a career spanning more than 15 years.
- He named his son Beckham, and his daughter Leighton. His children were born in 2021 and late 2023 respectively.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1991 | Born March 30 in Gladwin, Michigan |
| Childhood | Parents divorce; raised by mother and her abusive boyfriend; father eventually takes custody |
| 2008 | Places second in nationwide Fine Arts Festival rap competition |
| 2009 | Graduates from Gladwin High School; mother dies from opioid overdose |
| 2010 | Releases independent debut album Moments via Xist Music |
| 2012 | Releases EP I’m Free |
| 2014 | Self-releases self-titled EP; signs with Capitol CMG |
| 2015 | Releases Mansion under Capitol CMG; Christian Albums #1; “Intro” placed on Madden NFL 16 |
| 2016 | Releases Therapy Session; Billboard 200 #12; wins GMA Dove Award |
| 2017 | Releases Perception; Billboard 200 #1; “Let You Down” reaches Hot 100 #12 and goes Triple Platinum |
| 2018 | Marries Bridgette Doremus in September; diagnosed with OCD after the Perception Tour |
| 2019 | Releases The Search; Billboard 200 #1 (second consecutive number one debut) |
| 2021 | Releases CLOUDS (The Mixtape) featuring Hopsin and Tech N9ne; son Beckham born August 13 |
| 2023 | Releases Hope; Billboard 200 #2; daughter Leighton born late 2023 |
| 2025 | Releases FEAR EP via NF Real Music and Capitol Records; Billboard 200 #4; biggest rap album debut of 2025 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is NF the rapper?
NF is the stage name of Nathan John Feuerstein, an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer born on March 30, 1991, in Gladwin, Michigan. He is known for his cinematic production style, rapid-fire lyrical delivery, and deeply personal writing about mental health, family trauma, and faith. His albums Perception and The Search both debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and his single “Let You Down” was certified triple Platinum in the United States.
What religion is NF?
NF is a Christian. His faith is central to his music, and he references God, prayer, and Scripture regularly across his catalog. His grandfather was a pastor, and NF grew up with Christian faith as a foundation, even though his home life was marked by abuse, addiction, and loss. He has signed with Capitol Christian Music Group, though he prefers not to be categorized as a “Christian rapper,” describing himself instead as an artist who makes music for everyone.
Is NF Christian?
Yes. NF is a Christian artist. He does not use profanity, addresses God directly in his music, and has spoken openly about his faith in interviews. His 2025 EP FEAR includes lines addressed directly to God questioning whether his suffering is part of a plan. His faith is not decorative. It is where his conversations about pain, doubt, and survival actually go.
Does NF have a wife?
Yes. NF’s wife is Bridgette Doremus, now Bridgette Feuerstein. They began dating in 2015 and married in September 2018. Bridgette is a certified health coach and entrepreneur, the founder of the wellness brand Halfway Hippie. The couple lives a largely private life and has two children together.
How old is NF?
NF was born on March 30, 1991. He is 35 years old as of June 2026.
Is NF related to Eminem?
No, NF is not related to Eminem. They are both white rappers from Michigan with rapid-fire delivery and music built on personal pain, which is why the comparison comes up constantly. NF has credited Eminem as his biggest musical influence and says he spent four years listening to Eminem before making his own music. The similarity is stylistic and biographical, not familial.
Does NF have kids?
Yes. NF and his wife Bridgette have two children. Their son, Beckham John Feuerstein, was born on August 13, 2021. Their daughter, Leighton, was born in late 2023.
What is NF’s family background?
NF’s family background is marked by significant pain. His parents divorced when he was very young. He and his two sisters were raised by his mother, who struggled with opioid addiction, and her abusive boyfriend. His father eventually stepped in and removed the children from that environment. His mother died of an overdose in 2009. His grandfather was a pastor. NF has written extensively about these experiences across his entire catalog, starting with “How Could You Leave Us” and continuing through to the FEAR EP in 2025.
What is NF’s most popular song?
“Let You Down,” from the 2017 album Perception, is NF’s biggest commercial hit. It peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, was certified triple Platinum in the United States, and charted in the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Other widely recognized songs include “Mansion,” “How Could You Leave Us,” “The Search,” “Running,” and “FEAR.”
What is “The Search” by NF?
The Search is NF’s fourth studio album, released September 13, 2019. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, his second consecutive number one album debut. The record is his most direct examination of mental health, fame, and his search for genuine meaning beyond what music could provide. Songs like “Only” and “Hate Myself” are framed explicitly as prayers to God.
