NF - HOPE

"Drop a song out of nowhere and all the fans embrace it" ~ NF

a list of all the references
0:30 Nate's white clothes (The Search, Leave Me Alone, PAID MY DUES)
0.33 Raft (Drifting)
1:05 Paddle from LOST (LOST)
1:06 Fear's first line (Intro III)
1:16 ‘Hope Island’ strong opposite to LOST scenery (LOST)
1:23 Nate and Fear argue over who made the album (Intro III)
1:31 Definition of success (Why)
2:00 Feelings giving wrong directions (Just Like You)
2:20 Map to Hope (The Search)
2:54 Mansion (Mansion)
2:54 Dramatic scene change (CLOUDS)
3:19 Shopping Cart and Balloons (The Search, Leave Me Alone, Why)
3:36 Room full of regrets (Mansion)
3:44 Cell and keys (Outcast)
3:44 Old man (Let You Down)
3:58 Nate gets ‘kidnapped’ (Green Lights)
4:12 Nate forgives his mother (How Could You Leave Us)
4:16 30 Years of... (The Search, Hate Myself, Nate, Why)
4:44 Nate VS Fear (Intro III)
4:58 Nate takes the reigns (LOST)
4.54 "Might as well give up" (Trust)

Credits (Stratumn)
(Edit)
Theory - Fear = Black - Negative Emotions he felt NF/ Nate = White - Nf after finding hope . The beginning of the song we see NF talking about "Fear" Who is fear u may ask fear is the name given to the negative emotions he was feeling before hope ,fear has been introduced in the Intro (1-3) series.They argue about whos album it is which is referenced back to Intro 3 "But we've been together since you were a kid (Kid), yeah
Fear-I know I'm intense and controlling, but you need to learn how to cope with it, that's just the way that it is
If you didn't want me to live in your house, you shouldn't have let me move in
Fear: You can't get rid of all of me!
I'm the reason why—

Nate: Nah, shut up, I don't wanna hear another sentence

Fear: Hey, I'm NF
"Is it me or the fear talkin'?" Ha! What a dumb question!
Took us from a no-name
Told you everything was okay
Now you tryna cut me out of it like I ain't never been a part of it
I am the heart of it, I made this whole thing"Hold your hands on the coldest nights
You didn't tell 'em 'bout the times you and I used to hold the mic
I mean, what are you, outta your mind?
Fear appears to be a childhood trauma or so i say!
Is fear a trauma or a personality i don't know

In a NF music video u may have noticed the fact that the sun is shown if u review all the other NF music videos they are generally filmed in the night time or cgi ,which is when NF obsesses over his thoughts and indulges in self hatred in this video its the opposite if u want to really understand who "Fear" is u should refer back to Intro 3 , i find a strong correlation back to this song in particular.
We see fear giving NF direction to a location while NF has the map of hope why does he needs he need fear's directions if he has a map which means he is clearly hesitant about the map of hope as we see the map eventually leads him back to fear which fear finds hilarious , Nate trys using the map of hope and fear comes up unexpectedly and trys making Nate relive the burdens he left in his mansion (Mind) as NF resurfaces he battles fear for dominance over his life and takes the "reigns" of his life back. Just a Theory lmao

Then it occurs to me that if Nate just surfaced did "fear" make certain songs.

Thx's for reading I personally am proud of the progress NF has made over the years following with his journey i am proud to witness the healing process.

I just cant believe that it has been a year and hasn't hit 1 billion!

Hope
Yeah, I'm on my way, I'm coming
Don't, don't lose faith in me
I know you've been waitin'
I know you've been prayin' for my soul
Hope, hope
Thirty years you been draggin' your feet
Tellin' me I'm the reason we're stagnant
Thirty years you've been claiming you're honest
And promising progress, well, where's it at?
I don't want you to feel like a failure (failure)
I know this hurts
But I gave you your chance to deliver (deliver)
Now it's my turn
Don't get me wrong, Nate, you've had a great run
But it's time to give the people somethin' different
So without further ado, I'd
Like to introduce my
(My album, my album, my album, my album, my album, my album, my album)
Hope
What's my definition of success? (Of success)
Listening to what your heart says (your heart says)
Standing up for what you know is (is)
Right, while everybody else is (is)
Tucking their tail between their legs (okay)
What's my definition of success? (Of success)
Creating something no one else can (else can)
Being brave enough to dream big (big)
Grindin' when you're told to just quit (quit)
Giving more when you got nothin' left (left)
It's a person that'll take a chance on
Something they were told could never happen
It's a person that can see the bright side through the dark times when there ain't one
It's when someone who ain't never had nothin'
Ain't afraid to walk away from more profit
'Cause they'd rather do somethin' that they really love and take the pay cut
It's a person that would never waver
Or change who they are
Just to try and gain some credibility
So they could feel accepted by a stranger
It's a person that can take the failures in their life and turn them into motivation
It's believing in yourself when no one else does, it's amazing
What a little bit of faith can do if you don't even believe in you
Why would you think or expect anybody else that's around you to?
I done did things that I regret
I done said things I can't take back
Was a lost soul at a crossroad who had no hope but I changed that
I spent years of my life holdin' on to things I never should've kept, full of hatred
Years of my life carryin' a lot of baggage that I should've walked away from
Years of my life wishin' I was someone different, lookin' for some validation
Years of my life tryna fill the void, pretending I was in
They get it
Growing pain's a necessary evil
Difficult to go through, yes, but beneficial
Some would say having a mental breakdown is a negative thing
Which on one hand, I agree with
On the other hand, it was the push I needed
To get help and start the healing process, see
If I'd have never hit rock bottom
Would I be the person that I am today?
I don't believe so
I'm a prime example of what happens when you choose to not accept defeat and face your demons
Took me thirty years to realize that if you want to get the opportunity
To be the greatest version of yourself
Sometimes you got to be someone you're not to hear the voice of reason
Having kids will make you really take a step back and look in the mirror
At least for me that's what it did, I
Wake up every day and pick my son up, hold him in my arms
And let him know he's loved (loved)
Standing by the window questioning if dad is ever going to show up (up)
Isn't something he's gon' have to worry about
Don't get it twisted, that wasn't a shot
Mama, I forgive you
I just don't want him to grow up thinkin' that he'll never be enough
Thirty years of running, thirty years of searching
Thirty years of hurting, thirty years of pain
Thirty years of fearful, thirty years of anger
Thirty years of empty, thirty years of shame
Thirty years of broken, thirty years of anguish
Thirty years of hopeless, thirty years of (hey)
Thirty years of never, thirty years of maybe
Thirty years of later, thirty years of fake
Thirty years of hollow, thirty years of sorrow
Thirty years of darkness, thirty years of (Nate)
Thirty years of baggage, thirty years of sadness
Thirty years of stagnant, thirty years of chains
Thirty years of anxious, thirty years of suffering
Thirty years of torment, thirty years of (wait)
Thirty years of bitter, thirty years of lonely
Thirty years of pushing everyone away
(You'll never evolve) I know I can change
(We are not enough) we are not the same
(You don't have the heart) you don't have the strength
(You don't have the will) you don't have the faith
(You'll never be loved) you'll never be safe
(Might as well give up) not running away
(You don't have the guts) you're the one afraid
I'm the one in charge
I'm taking the (no)
I'm taking the
Reigns

Old NF: "Whats your definition of success? I don't trust this thing that beats inside my chest."
New NF: "Whats my definition of success? Trusting what your heart says"

Old NF: "I'm looking for the map to hope. You seen it?"
New NF: finds the map to hope

Old NF: hasn't forgiven his mom
New NF: "This isn't a shot mamma. I've forgiven you".

Truly inspiring how much he has grown over the years!

REFERENCES DURING THE VIDEO ENJOY:

0:20 Nate on the raft (Drifting)
0:30 Nate's white clothes (The Search, Leave Me Alone, PAID MY DUES)
1:05 Paddle from LOST (LOST)
1:06 Fear's first line (Intro III)
1:16 ‘Hope Island’ strong opposite to LOST scenery (LOST)
1:23 Nate and Fear argue over who made the album (Intro III)
1:31 Definition of success (Why)
2:00 Feelings giving wrong directions (Just Like You)
2:20 Map to Hope (The Search)
2:54 Mansion (Mansion)
2:54 Dramatic scene change (CLOUDS)
3:19 Shopping Cart and Balloons (The Search, Leave Me Alone, Why)
3:36 Room full of regrets (Mansion)
3:44 Cell and keys (Outcast)
3:44 Old man (Let You Down)
3:58 Nate gets ‘kidnapped’ (Green Lights)
4:12 Nate forgives his mother (How Could You Leave Us)
4:16 30 Years of... (The Search, Hate Myself, Nate, Why)
4:44 Nate VS Fear (Intro III)
4:58 Nate takes the reigns (LOST)

0:30 Nate's white clothes (The Search, Leave Me Alone, PAID MY DUES)
1:05 Paddle from LOST (LOST)
1:06 Fear's first line (Intro III)
1:16 ‘Hope Island’ strong opposite to LOST scenery (LOST)
1:23 Nate and Fear argue over who made the album (Intro III)
1:31 Definition of success (Why)
2:00 Feelings giving wrong directions (Just Like You)
2:20 Map to Hope (The Search)
2:54 Mansion (Mansion)
2:54 Dramatic scene change (CLOUDS)
3:19 Shopping Cart and Balloons (The Search, Leave Me Alone, Why)
3:36 Room full of regrets (Mansion)
3:44 Cell and keys (Outcast)
3:44 Old man (Let You Down)
3:58 Nate gets ‘kidnapped’ (Green Lights)
4:12 Nate forgives his mother (How Could You Leave Us)
4:16 30 Years of... (The Search, Hate Myself, Nate, Why)
4:44 Nate VS Fear (Intro III)
4:58 Nate takes the reigns (LOST)

NF is on a completely different level then most rappers.

He found the map to hope, changed into the white clothes, left his balloons behind, revisited his previous albums to see how much he's grown... Truly epic visuals and pay-offs! Time to see what Hope can bring to the table!

Let it fade, yeah, let it fade
Once it's decimated, then you drop a song out of nowhere
And all the fans embrace it

The final emotions of the songs still gives me chills.

A year later, this song still hit different.

This was absolutely unreal.

HE DID IT AGAIN

Who's watching this in 2024

THE FACT THAT THIS SONG MIXES ALL OF THE SONGS THAT ARE IN THE ALBUM AND YET IS STILL AMAZING JUST OH MY GOD HE IS SO AMAZING

a list of all the references
0:30 Nate's white clothes (The Search, Leave Me Alone, PAID MY DUES)
1:05 Paddle from LOST (LOST)
1:06 Fear's first line (Intro III)
1:16 'Hope Island' strong opposite to LOST scenery (LOST)
1:23 Nate and Fear argue over who made the album (Intro Ill)
1:31 Definition of success (Why)
2:00 Feelings giving wrong directions (Just Like
You)
2:20 Map to Hope (The Search)
2:54 Mansion (Mansion)
2:54 Dramatic scene change (CLOUDS)
3:19 Shopping Cart and Balloons (The Search, Leave Me Alone, Why)
3:36 Room full of regrets (Mansion)
3:44 Cell and keys (Outcast)
3:44 Old man (Let You Down)
3:58 Nate gets 'kidnapped' (Green Lights)

4:12 Nate forgives his mother (How Could You
Leave Us)
4:16 30 Years of... (The Search, Hate Myself, Nate, Why)
4:44 Nate VS Fear (Intro III)
4:58 Nate takes the reigns (LOST)

(by @Stratumn)

"Mama I forgive you". The line we've been waiting for. 🙏🏽

3 things that I noticed after watching quite a few times.

1. When he falls into the mansion and hits the floor 3:00-3:03 , you can hear ringing , the same ringing that was heard in Story just after the gunshot.

For the next two you need a large screen or high res one with the brightness turned up.
2. At 3:54 - 3:57 while he is rapping " Having kids will make you take a step back and look in the mirror " he is stepping backward and then you see his reflection in a pain of door glass.

3. This is more of an interesting observation , while he is rapping on top of the "mountain" 4:48 - 4:57 he is rapping with such intensity and passion that you can see spit/saliva being hurled as he shakes his head.

Found it interesting....

Hey Nathan, here's to 30 years of LOVE, 30 years of HAPPINESS, 30 years of SUCCESS, 30 years of LIGHT. Stay strong.