Why I don't like NF
(and modern Eminem, Dax, Joyner Lucas, and a whole bunch more) Amongst hardcore rap fans, all of these rappers tend to be categorized under one umbrella term known as "corny". Despite being hugely popular, most of their success comes from people outside the rap community. It isn't productive to just give an artist a label and then entirely disregard them so I want to elaborate on what makes these rappers corny. Corniness means a lot of different things in different contexts but specifically within rap corniness can be equated to inauthenticity. Recently, I listened to a good portion of NF's discography and there are a few attributes I noticed throughout his work. His flows, melodies, and beat selection are all very generic. The perspective his music is told from doesn't feel authentic. The topics and concepts he chooses to explore throughout his work are all very generic and not thought-provoking. To be clear this isn't meant to bash NF in any way, I'm aiming to define the divide between corny rappers and other rappers as well as hopefully gain a better understanding as to why I don't like his music beyond "it's corny, I don't like it". My first point of his music sounding generic is highly subjective. NF in particular seems to have a very strong affinity for very plastic-sounding "orchestral" instrumentals. It's very clear that most of this music is produced using some kind of DAW rather than live instruments. There's nothing wrong with using a DAW but NF's producers don't seem to leverage the benefits of their tools. The beats that NF raps on use very little layering of instruments, simplistic drum patterns, and common chord progressions. Overall this leaves the instrumentals feeling hollow and almost fake in a way, like plastic. Compared to the ever-changing and evermore elaborate beats found in today's current rap landscape, NF's production doesn't hold up. His music speaks about him, not from him. There's an aspect of his lyrics that feels detached from who he is. A lot of this seems to be an unfortunate byproduct of his writing style. Everything he talks about seems to be in the wrong tense. He never speaks about how he currently feels or what he's currently doing. It seems to be a past event that triggers past emotions. Then in the song, he's contemplating future decisions. Which on paper sounds like the correct way to tell a story but in practice, it comes off as detached from the scenario. Combine that with the generic production and his very forced-sounding delivery and it sounds like he isn't truly living what he's talking about. Contrast this to most other rappers who speak in the direct present tense first person "I am this", "I'm doing this", and "is this what you want". The vast majority of his songs are about sadness and depression, unfortunately, he doesn't give a unique perspective on any of these serious issues or express them in a unique way. There's a plethora of depressed rappers out there, merely coming out and saying "I am depressed" isn't enough to separate your art from the rest of the pack. Admittedly to the casual listener, this might not be much of an issue. If you haven't listened to a good portion of this style of music then it is understandable how his work could move you. The question remains. Why are these artists so popular in the first place? The answer to that question lies in their fanbases. The majority of these people are not into rap music and thus the slightest hint of rapping sounds special enough to catch their ear. Even if the themes or presentation are all very generic to most rap fans. For us, when we want to hear something different we seek out the creative deliveries of a Young Thug, the witty punch lines of a Lil Wayne, the sporadic and unpredictable melodies of Baby Keem, the complex storytelling of Kendrick Lamar, or the experimental stage presence of Playboi Carti. For most non-rap fans all of these artists are too far of a departure from what they normally enjoy to find listenable. NF makes a very tamed version of rap music for people who don't really like rap.