NF'S SEARCH FUNCTION

NF’s The Search (NFREALMUSIC/Caroline) is here, and the Michigan rapper’s 20-song set, which sits at #1 on the iTunes album chart and is earning critical plaudits, shows all the signs of a creative breakthrough.

You may recall that 2017’s Perception (NF’s third full-length), bowed at #1 on our chart with 53k.

AP praises the new set as “incredible,” while Stereogum refers to the MC as “a rapper who’s here to unpack his guilt and regret in rapid-fire lyrical outbursts.” It's unflinchingly honest—imagine Eminem in therapy—and NF’s bars are fast, furious and full of finesse, punctuated by surprising melodic hooks. (And yes, you’ll find evidence of faith here, but as the set’s title indicates, it’s more about introspection than proselytizing.) There’s exactly one featured artist, Sasha Sloan, who appears on “Only.”

Check out the video for the relentless “Leave Me Alone” below.

NF kicks off his 29-date North American headlining tour on 9/12. Details here.