NF is my one of my best Rappers ever, his music flow and passion which some people relate to eminem’s energy. Most of his music is about his life, things he has passed through from childhood, his relationships, his demons, to how his love, faith and believe in God has help him overcome.
Mansion is NF’s debut album and his first album release off of Capitol records, which explores emotional tracks. It dives into deep topics about Nate’s personal life and struggles with epic beats.
A combination of Macklemore and Drake’s flow along with Eminem’s energy.
breathecast.com
Below are my favorites tracks from this album with lyrics that in a way personally speaks to my life either as an experience, a reality or a goal.
Mansion ft Fleurie
NF explains in his album promo video that his mind is a mansion. Every song on the album is a different emotion – a different story. NF reminisces on his past mistakes and memories. Each song on the album is a different room.
Lyrics
Insidious is blind inception
What’s reality with all these questions?
Feels like I missed my alarm and slept in
Slept in
Broken legs, but I chase perfection
These walls are my blank expression
My mind is a home I’m trapped in
And it’s lonely inside this mansion
Chorus: Fleurie
The mansion is Nate’s house, full of memories of his past. Each room is a different memory. Blank walls symbolize Nate’s blank face when he doesn’t know what to do, say, or think. When walls that have stuff on them (i.e., lyrics, holes, pain, etc.), this means that, as much as he would like to keep it locked inside, Nate has a lot to say about this room/memory. The more a room has in it, the more pain it causes him.
Yo, my mind is a house with walls, covered in lyrics
They’re all over the place, there’s songs in the mirrors
Written all over the floors, all over the chairs
And you get the uncut version of life when I go downstairs
That’s where I write when I’m in a bad place and need to release
And let out the version of NF you don’t wanna see
I put holes in the walls with both of my fists ’til they bleed
You might get a glimpse of how I cope with all this anger in me
Physically abused, now that’s the room that I don’t wanna be in
That picture ain’t blurry at all, I just don’t wanna see it
And these walls ain’t blank, I just think I don’t wanna see ’em
But why not? I’m in here, so I might as well read ’em
Verse 1
Since the mansion is a physical place, Nate wants to burn it down as a means of forgetting all the bad that has happened to him. He also wants to cover up his pain and problems with paint so that no one, including himself, can see them because he doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to properly clean them.
I gotta thank you for this anger that I carry around
Wish I could take a match and burn this whole room to the ground
Matter of fact, I think I’ma burn this room right now
Somehow, this memory, for some reason, just won’t burn down
You used to put me in the corner, so you could see the fear in my eyes
Verse 1
Yo, my mind is a house with walls, covered in pain
See, my problem is, I don’t fix things, I just try to repaint
Cover ’em up, like it never happened, say, “I wish I could change”
Verse 2
When someone or something has a room of their own in his mansion (mind), it means that he has issues that are unresolved with that person or thing. He tends to lock some of the doors so people can’t see what issues he deals with. This is most prevalent with the character of his fear.
Congratulations, you’ll always have a room in my mind
But I’ma keep the door shut and lock the lyrics inside
Verse 1
The deeper Nate goes inside his mansion, the darker things get. When he gets to the room (memory) of his mother, he has all of his regrets concerning her written on the walls. The first regret he has concerning her is he wishes he would have called her more often.
Are you confused? Come upstairs and I’ll show you what I mean
This room’s full of regrets, it just keeps getting fuller, it seems
The moment I walk into it’s the same moment that I wanna leave
I get sick to my stomach every time I look at these things
But it’s hard to look past when this is the room where I sleep
I look around, one of the worst things I wrote on these walls
Was the moment I realized that I was losing my mom
One of the first things I wrote was, “I wish I woulda called”
But I should just stop now, we ain’t got enough room in this song
And I regret the fact that I struggled trying to find who I am
And I lie to myself and say I do the best that I can
Shrug it off like it ain’t nothing, like it’s out of my hands
Then get ticked off whenever I see it affecting my plans
And I regret watchin’ these trust issues eat me alive
And at the rate I’m goin’, they’ll probably still be there when I die
Congratulations, you’ll always have a room in my mind
The question is, will I ever clean the walls off in time?
Verse 2
Nate has a fear of letting people inside his mansion as well as his life. He has lost so many people in his life to the point that it is hard for him to grasp the concept of and enjoy a relationship with someone. This is also why he locks his doors, to keep people out and to keep him to himself. This way, he can’t hurt anyone, including himself.
So this part of my house, no one’s been in it for years
I built a safe room and I don’t let no one in there
‘Cause if I do, there’s a chance that they might disappear
And not come back, and I admit, I am emotionally scared
To let anyone inside, so I just leave my doors locked
You might get other doors to open up, but this door’s not
‘Cause I don’t want you to have the opportunity to hurt me
And I’ll be the only person that I can blame when you desert me
I’m barricaded inside, so stop watchin’
I’m not coming to the door, so stop knockin’, stop knockin’
I’m trapped here, God keeps saying I’m not locked in
I chose this, I am lost in my own conscience
I know that shuttin’ the world out ain’t solvin’ the problem
But I didn’t build this house because I thought it would solve ’em
I built it because I thought that it was safer in there
But it’s not, I’m not the only thing that’s livin’ in here
Verse 3
The last and most personal thing Nate has in his mansion is his fear, which is an underlying theme throughout all of his music, not just this song. As much as he hates it, Nate can’t bring himself to attempt to get rid of fear for fear of what may or may not happen. He thinks it has had a room so long that it is a part of him.
Fear came to my house years ago, I let him in
Maybe that’s the problem, ’cause I’ve been dealing with this ever since
I thought that he would leave, but it’s obvious, he never did
He must have picked a room and got comfortable and settled in
Now I’m in a position, it’s either sit here and let ’em win
Or put him back outside where he came from, but I never can
‘Cause in order to do that, I’d have to open the doors
Is that me or the fear talking? I don’t know anymore
Verse 3
It’s lonely
Inside (Inside), inside (Inside)
It’s lonely (It’s lonely)
Oh, yeah, it’s lonely
Inside this mansion
Outro: NF & Fleurie
All I Have
On “All I Have,” NF expresses that he gives “all he has” when he creates his music. He expresses his emotions and raps about his faith in God and the work he put in to become a rapper. “All I Have” is the first single off of NF’s self-titled EP, NF. It also appeared on his debut album, Mansion.
This is NF’s first track after signing with Capitol Christian Music Group, which he signed with on April 2, 2014. The music video was released on July 15, 2014, and has accumulated over 18 million views. NF also performed this song at the 46th Dove Awards.
Lyrics
All I ever wanted was somebody to hear me
And all I ever wanted was somebody to feel me
And everybody wanna tell me that I’m out of my head
…
You’ve now entered in my mind
And you better get ready cause you might find
I’m from a different place, and my kind
It’s a little bit different than yours is
…
Wrote this with emotion
It’s hard to get a break when the doors ain’t open
It’s hard to get a shot when the gun ain’t loaded
And it’s hard to make a living when nobody wanna notice, hold it
What am I insane maybe? Plain crazy
…
Is not a character trait of mine, don’t wait in line
This is the current condition of my state of mind
Verse 1
Don’t tell me that this isn’t real
Don’t tell me this ain’t how I feel
This is all I have, all I have
Chorus
All I ever wanted was somebody to get this
…
But that’s not the case, because most of the times—the artists you hear
You keep on thinking that artist is new, but that artist has prolly been at it for years
Yeah, in the back of my mind thinking, am I wasting my time dreamin’?
And I ain’t got no money in my wallet, but I guarantee there ain’t no way that I am gonna leave this
I need this, I swear to y’all, I need this
…
I’ve been a different person, don’t try to predict my verses
What you’re hearing now is me whether I’m in front or behind that curtain
I stand behind these words and, I’m a Christian but I’m not perfect
Don’t tell me to calm down, I’m calm now, listen, I’m just working
Yeah, it might take a minute to get it, but once you get it everything will be crystal clear
I don’t think they see my vision here, I don’t think they see my vision here!
Verse 2
Wake Up
“Wake Up” is NF’s message to people who are struggling with life. People can’t appreciate the good in life or fix the mistakes that they have made because they’re “sleeping”. This “coma” separates happiness from the life we have been given by God. The song, with the help of producer Tommee Profitt, gained the eyes of Capitol CMG, getting NF a spot as an artist, and Profitt a spot as a producer. This song was featured in a promo for NBC’s Chicago P.D.
The whole background behind the concept is two people that live completely different lives but feel the same.
NF
He also said, later on:
What we’re trying to do here for the first scene—for the first character—is just show that even someone who has everything that the world would describe as what makes you happy: money, nice house, nice car, nice everything, basically… Even someone who has all of those things sometimes, like, that doesn’t make you happy.
NF
In “Wake Up,” Nate talks about depression, chasing material things, daydreaming, and eeking through life.
Lyrics
You spend your life in a dream that you can’t escape
‘Cause you live your life in a coma, you’re never awake
If you’d open your eyes then maybe you’d see what’s at stake
You’re sleeping, you’re sleeping
Chorus
You make a lot of money and you live in a mansion
And pretty much got everything that you could ever imagine
But you feel like even though you got everything in the world
You got nothing
So what you do then is you start going backwards
You runnin’ in a direction
And you lookin’ for something that isn’t real
And all you know is that you just gotta have it
What you’re doin’ is sleepin’
And thinking that you’re awake and you’re not
And the problem is that you don’t know what you’re after
So you put everything that you have into what you do
Hoping that one day maybe you don’t have to feel like you’re empty
But as you get older a lot of weight on your shoulders is getting heavy
Then you look back and you start to regret things
You only get one life
And every time you lookin’ at yours
You feel like everything you have is a waste!
And the problem and the reason you could never fill a hole in your life
Is because you were never awake
Verse 1
You spend your life in a dream that you can’t escape
‘Cause you live your life in a coma, you’re never awake
Pre-Chorus
You wake up in the morning
But you feel like you never got up and go to work
And you feelin’ like you ain’t got a purpose
And you tryna get motivated but everything you do turns into a mess
Like you ain’t nothing but worthless
And, yo, you look around
A lot of these other people you lookin’ at
To you, you describe as perfect
So you point a finger at God and tell Him to do His job
And fix ya life up ’cause nothin’ is workin’!
And you will try to hide it and make it seem like it’s nothin’
But really you feel like everything is crashin’ around you
And you developed a problem in trusting in other people
Which later became an issue that would mentally pound you!
You only get one life
But every time you lookin’ at yours you feel like all you ever see are mistakes
And the problem and the reason you could never move forward in life
Is because you were never awake!
Wake up
Verse 2
Face It
In “Face It,” NF candidly admits he is struggling with the problems he is going through in his life, including sin. He realises his tendency to be hypocritical when he doesn’t live out the words that he raps or sings, and this song allows him to remind the listener that he is just as imperfect as they are.
In an interview with Rapzilla, NF said:
When I write a song called ‘Face It,’ that could mean anything; I don’t know how to face anything. I think on this next record, there are some songs that really give you what’s going on with me. And people writing me stuff like that, there are a lot of parts in songs that have been influenced from statements like that.
NF
Lyrics
Yeah, I ain’t sleeping lately
I ain’t sleeping lately
Yes I know that I’m the only person that can change me
Maybe, that’s why I ain’t changing
That’s why I ain’t changing
I got too much on my mind, I guess I don’t know how to face it
I just don’t know how to face it
I don’t know how to face it, yeah
Chorus
I go through these mood swings
Watch everything slide down
I look at myself and I ask what the goal is (Goal is)
Yeah tell me what your goal is
I’m just so lost in emotions, I don’t even notice
I just slip into a place and I don’t think straight
Devil in my ear tryna tell me everything’s great
And in a year I realize I’m in the same place
Running in the same race same pace
Verse 1
Think about the words you ’bout to say before you say it
Sin is bittersweet I taste it, bittersweet I taste it
Get that sickness out my mouth
I feel like my train is derailin’
I can feel it
Yo these words are only words until they actions
Words until they actions strive on empty satisfactions
…
This ain’t all about appearance
Everything starts with the man in the mirror
Verse 2
Notepad
“Notepad” is a song in which Nate uses perfect personification by writing a letter to his best friend: his notepad. His notepad was his best and truest friend, having been with him through the years and helping him cope with his emotions – inevitably bringing him to where he is today.
My Imagination and music is to me as Notepad is to NF. My Imagination was my safe space, where I go when am lonely, who I talk to when I need to accompanied by Music. I can rely on my imagination for help on things I don’ understand, we both discussed things together in order for me understand.
I had my Imagination as my best friend, we had big positive dreams about life that we are close to realizing before I had it corrupted by my feelings, what people thinks and allowing people in.
Now I can’t imagine without having people and their opinion in it. I miss my Imagination and companion in Music. It has always being us against the world and I want that back.
Lyrics
You and I, we’ve been through a lot together
And I look back and I just, uh, I appreciate all the times that…that we had together, you know?
I remember just goin’ down in my room and, you know, dealin’… tryna deal with some things
And you’ve always been there for that
Always, just me and you
Intro
You and I been best friends, ever since I was a young kid
Everything we did, where has time went?
Got a lot of years comin’ up ahead of us and ever since we met
I knew we’d get somewhere, but the fact is I ain’t really, I ain’t really know when
I don’t really know how either, but I can feel the goosebumps, my skin writin’
I’ve been waitin’ for the moment, you and I can make it happen
Lot of people thinkin’ we ain’t gonna make it rappin’
I ain’t got a problem with ’em though, they don’t even matter
We ain’t lookin’ for the people tryna say that we the baddest
No, I never liked that
Came a long way, never did it for the money
We ever make it big, I’ma give it to the family
Lookin’ back now everything is lookin’ funny
You and I in the room writin’, up late when the mood strikes us
We don’t care if they do like us
Verse 1
I made a lot of mistakes, you’ve been there for the whole thing
Help me with the drama
…
Tried to find who I was, bein’ everything I wasn’t, real life, yeah!
Got a lot of anger, you know where I’m at, put it all over the pages
…
Look at where we at now, we ain’t made it yet
But they can hear us in the background comin’
Some are gonna hate it, some are gonna love it
I’ma put it in His hands and let God do the judgin’, yeah
Remember me and you, always had you in the backpack
Took you into school writin’ on you like it’s nothin’, a lot of people in the room
See me scribble on a page but they ain’t got a clue, nah, they ain’t got a clue
We at the beginnin’
Hopin’ someday you and I can say we made it and we did it
Verse 2
You know what’s crazy is
This just started as somethin’ that was an escape for us, you know?
And now I look around and there’s a lot of people out there goin’ through the same things, you know, we’ve been through
Now this music we write is actually makin’ an impact, it’s crazy
Interlude
Paralysed
In this song, NF talks about how he is stuck, or “Paralyzed” because as Christians we can let the world stop or paralyze us from doing what God has called us to do. We can fall into temptation, or trying to satisfy the world, and become paralyzed. Think of it as a long road. You start the day you give your life to Christ, and the end is Heaven.
In school, at work, and in everyday life, it can be hard to keep reaching people for God, and if you give in, you are paralyzed. NF is reaching out to God to show him who he is, and what he has called him to do.
This song was featured in an episode of VH1’s Black Ink Crew.
Lyrics
When did I become so numb?
Verse 1
When did I lose myself?
All the words that leave my tongue
Feel like they came from someone else
I’m paralyzed, where are my feelings?
Chorus
I no longer feel things, I know I should
I’m paralyzed, where is the real me?
I’m lost and it kills me inside, I’m paralyzed
When did I become so cold?
When did I become ashamed? (Oh)
Where’s the person that I know?
They must have left, they must have left, with all of my faith
Verse 2
I’m paralyzed
I’m scared to live, but I’m scared to die
And if life is pain then I buried mine
A long time ago, but it’s still alive
And it’s takin’ over me, where am I?
I wanna feel somethin’, I’m numb inside
But I don’t feel nothin’, I wonder why?
I’m in the race of life and time passed by
Look, I sit back and I watch it
Hands in my pockets
Waves come crashin’ over me, but I just watch ’em
I just watch ’em
I’m underwater but I feel like I’m on top of it
I’m at the bottom but I don’t know what the problem is
I’m in a box, but I’m the one that locked me in
(I’m Paralyzed) Suffocatin’ and I’m runnin’ out of oxygen, ah!
Bridge
(I’m just so paralyzed) I’m paralyzed
(Yeah, I’m just so paralyzed) Where are my feelings?
I no longer feel things (I have no feelings)
I know I should (Oh, how come I’m not moving? Why aren’t I moving?)
I’m paralyzed (Ay, yeah)
Where is the real me? (Where is the real me? Where is the real me?)
I’m lost and it kills me, (I’m paralyzed) inside (I’m paralyzed)
I’m paralyzed (I’m paralyzed)
Outro
I’ll Keep On
In the penultimate track of the album, NF illustrates the hope he has. After a myriad a emotional tracks explaining all of the problems he faces, “I’ll Keep On” (and its subsequent track) finally put all of his troubles in perspective—what he expects of the future. His faith in God allows him to “keep on” despite all of the trials he currently faces. Nate knows his Saviour is bigger than all of his problems.
This song is really the first glimpse we get of his faith in God, which enables him to get through all of the issues in his life (some of which he has described through the album so far). This allows him to keep persevering throughout troublesome times.
This song features vocals from Jeremiah Carlson, the lead singer of the CCM band ‘The Neverclaim’.
Lyrics
Oh these hands are tired
Oh this heart is tired
Oh this soul is tired
But I’ll keep on
I’ll keep on
I’ll keep on
I’ll keep on
I’ll keep on
I’ll keep on
Hook: Jeremiah Carlson
Faith is something I am not accustomed to
And trusting other people’s something I don’t really love to do
I’ve never been a fan of it, I act tougher
Really my shoulders they ain’t built for this and I don’t have nothing
It’s like I’m standing in the rain and you offer me a raincoat
But I would rather stand there and get wet than take the handout
What’s wrong with me? You said you’ve always got your hands out
And I cannot continue on my own, so take my hands now
I give you everything, God, not just a little bit
Take it from me, I am nothing but a hypocrite
I hate sin, but I built a house and I still live in it
Afraid to open up the door to You and let You into it
My soul is lost and what it needs is Your direction
I know, I’ve told You I do not need Your protection
But I lied to You, this thing is tiring
And man was not created for it, God
Please retire me now
Verse 1
Trust is something I am not accustomed to
And I know the Bible says I should always trust in You
But, I don’t never read that book enough
And when I have a question I don’t take the time to look it up
Or pick it up
It collects dust on my nightstand
I’m just being honest
Please take this outta my hands
I have no control – I am just a person
But thank the Lord that I serve a God that’s perfect
I do not deserve the opportunity You’ve given me
I never knew what freedom was until I learned what prison means
I am not ashamed, I don’t care if they remember me
My life will always have a hole, if You are not the centerpiece
Take me out of bondage, take all of my pride
If I don’t have a Savior, I don’t have nothing inside
Take all of my lust, take all of my lies
There’s no better feeling than when I look in the sky, in Your eyes
It’s amazing
Verse 2
Can You Hold Me
“Can You Hold Me” is the final song from the album Mansion where both NF and featured-vocalist Britt Nicole transparently display their need for comfort and wholeness. In a way, this song could be seen as an attempt for NF to escape the pains of his ‘mansion.’
Britt Nicole’s words here can be seen as an extension of what NF says. Although her identity is distinct from his in this song (meaning they each play different roles), the things each one of them conveys together represent all that (or much of what) NF feels and wants as it relates to the context of this song.
Leading up to this track, the majority of the album has been a description the spectrum of emotions NF feels and the myriad of problems he faces. The previous track “I’ll Keep On” broke away from this pattern and marked the point when he finally drew the connection between his life and his everlasting, unconditionally-loving God.
“Can You Hold Me” now serves as the second part of his relationship with God—the prayer aspect. His desire for security leads him to the beseeching we see here, something that was missing from the previous song (the only other song that directly deals with God on his album). So, compared to “I’ll Keep On”, this song is much more serious. Unlike that song, which is primarily concerned with Nate’s physical life, “Can You Hold Me” is about his spiritual life.
However, some have contended that the song does not reflect his spirituality, pointing to the possibility of a slightly different meaning concerning his desire for earthly relationships. Either way, “Can You Hold Me” is a powerful track that serves as a fitting ending to an emotional album.
Lyrics
It feels like a tear in my heart
Like a part of me missing
And I just can’t feel it
I’ve tried and I’ve tried
And I’ve tried
Intro: Britt Nicole
Tears on my face I can’t take it
Intro: NF
If lonely is a taste then it’s all that I’m tasting
Do you hear my cry?
I cry, oh
Can you hold me?
Can you hold me?
Can you hold me in your arms?
Chorus: Britt Nicole & NF
Just wrap me in your arms, in your arms
I don’t wanna be nowhere else
Take me from the dark, from the dark
I ain’t gonna make it myself
Put your arms around me
Put your arms around me
Let your love surround me
I am lost
I am lost
Verse 1
If I ain’t got you here
If I ain’t got you, I ain’t got nothing at all
Bridge: Britt Nicole & NF
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, I feel like it’s just me, like it’s just me
What it gon’ take? What it gon’ be?
I don’t even know
(It’s not just you)
But I’m lonely
Feeling like I don’t even know me, I don’t even know me
(I feel it too)
Gotta have you, gotta see you
(You’re the only thing I have to think about
The only one I that can’t live without)
I see you
(I need you, need you to hold me now)
Verse 2: NF & Britt Nicole
