“Clouds” by NF
“Clouds” serves as the title track of (and lead single for) is the first full-length project NF has put out since 2019. And as alluded to in the facts section, the rapper has been pretty quiet during 2020.
Section 1
So he commences the first verse by revealing that yes, he has “been stalling” in terms of dropping new tracks. Meanwhile he has a few pretty much sitting around collecting dust, which has him perturbed. So even though he’s not really into releasing mixtapes, in this case he’ll make an exception in the name of making these songs public. In other words, he begins “Clouds” by rationalizing why he decided to drop to a mixtape.
He then fills out the middle section of the extended first verse by exhibiting his lyrical proficiency and touting himself as a grade A emcee. In the process, he gives shoutouts to Bruce Willis and Bill Gates, the former in terms of NF too being “unbreakable”. And the latter apparently as a roundabout allusion to the vocalist’s greatness.
Next NF, still in the first verse, proceeds to point out the difference between him and other successful rappers. For instance, the vocalist at hand asserts that he isn’t materialistic. He’s also not into chasing accolades. Furthermore he doesn’t consume intoxicants, as is pretty much the norm in the world of hip-hop.
Afterwards the rest of the verse is once again dedicated to the artist reverting back to the topic of how cool he is. In fact the lyrics sort of read like rap music from the 1980s, where lyricists devoted most of their bars to dropping metaphors alluding to their skills as a wordsmith. But it is also during this particular segment that NF references the title of the song, comparing himself to “a meteor rock” which has “come out the clouds”.
This allegory is yet another statement apparently referring to NF’s talents, or let’s say the self-perceived impact he is having on the world.
Section 2
And lyrically the second verse is fundamentally the same, featuring the narrator presenting himself as a brave, extraordinary person who doesn’t flinch under pressure.
Bridge
Meanwhile the bridge of the song features NF asserting that he will never “go Hollywood”. Indeed he is by and large considered to be a countercultural rapper, one who is associated with the Christian religion as opposed to the shenanigans which define mainstream rap.
But obviously he doesn’t consider braggadocious songs, which are also part and parcel of mainstream rap ethics, as being “Hollywood”. And why? Because that is basically what we have on our hands with “Clouds”. No, he may not be threatening to shoot anybody or boasting the size of his bank account or harem, but NF does let it be known that he is successful and influential. And even to some extent he presents himself as a tough guy.
“Clouds” is a Christian Rap Song?
Meanwhile the ‘Christian’ aspect of the lyrics, which is seemingly what most analysts have been harping on, is minimal. Yes, the rapper does mention God once – basically asserting that he has been divinely chosen to be greater than the next man. And NF also, once again, goes through his semi-regular routine of favorably contrasting himself with other popular rappers.
But truth be told, in tone, this track is more mainstream – or “Hollywood” as some would say – than many of his previous outings. But in a way NF acknowledges this fact himself from the onset as he asserts, though in a shrouded manner, that his “head’s in the clouds”.
Facts about “Clouds”
This song was officially introduced to the world on 18 February 2021, marking NF’s first release of said year.
It is from a project which itself is entitled “Clouds (The Mixtape)”. Other tracks on the mixtape feature NF collaborating with fellow conscious rappers Tech N9ne and Hopsin. And the slated release date of the 11-track undertaking is 26 March 2021.
“Clouds” was issued by Caroline Records and NF Real Music, NF’s own independent label.
The last track NF came out with prior to this one was “Chasing_(Demo)”, which was the only single he dropped during 2020. It featured the vocal contributions of a young lady named Mikayla Sippel, who is a teenaged fan of NF’s hailing from the land down under.
The year prior to that, 2019, is when NF came out with his fifth standard album, “The Search”, which topped the Billboard 200.
The intro of this track, which features a phrase being played in reverse, actually says “head’s in the clouds”.
NF wrote and produced “Clouds” alongside his incessant collaborator, Tommee Profitt. And within a couple of days after its release, the tune made it onto the top sections of the trending songs charts by multiple publications.
Do you guys even listen to the song? The Bill Gates Shoutout was not an allusion to NF’s wealth but a play on his status as “unbelievable”
true I thought the Bill Gates was a cool word play. I really enjoyed this song and thought yall could have maybe gone into more depth on it because I understood a lot more then yall explained.
Also, “Clouds” is a reference to his song “outcast” when he says his head’s in the clouds. To understand the underlying meaning of his lyrics, you have to listen to his past songs. I would suggest doing that before you start slamming him for this song. Personally, it’s refreshing to see him have more self-confidence. And I noticed you left out when he said he doesn’t hVe trophies and DIDN’T know why he was chosen by God. When Christians say they are chosen, they don’t mean they’re better than everyone else. We are ALL chosen by God for the different talents we have. Everything Jesus taught was blatantly against favoritism. I do believe NF was chosen to reach the people(mostly kids) who struggle with loss and deep depression and encourage them they are not alone. Everywhere you look, you will see the impact he had on people.
The figurative language in his song is incredible and just his skills are amazing, in my personal opinion NF is the best rapper out there.
In clouds NF does say that “I get messed up for a lame with no way to his name” and obviously “his” is not just anyone it’s Eminem! Its probably obvious that NF has a grudge against Eminem and I would like to find out why. But I love NF my most favorite singer in the world !!!
He was dissed sorta? in eminems album Kamikaze he says “An nfing recovery clone of me”
Anyone know what the truck on the far right in the final scene means? Was it a mistake, there’s a truck at the very end before it goes black and it’s the only thing moving.
They say he does not mention god one but actually he says “Don’t got no trophies. Don’t know why god chose me
You have a nice way with words. I enjoyed this very much. To be honest, you kind of missed the whole point of this song. And yes, it relates to has previous tracks including a very clever tie-in to all the Intros of every NF Album (The Search is the Intro to The Search and this song is the Intro to the Clouds Mixtape). They all have haunting choirs. They all have big drops. They all have fast bars. They all have no chorus. But I digress. This song is actually about how NF drops into the Hip Hop scene uninvited (See Why and the whole drop in on the scene uninvited), crashes the mainstream concepts of money, women, and drugs and he is a disruptive force in the industry creating havoc. Why? Why no Hollywood? Not about being braggadocious, it is about respect. NF is as good as any mainstream artist, actually better than most, and he is not getting the airplay on the radio because he is rapping about real wholesome things. Dark and hard things, but his solution is not drugs or alcohol. For real, they don’t work.