HOPE
NF Lyrics

Yeah, I'm on my way, I'm coming
I'm making progress and I'm coming closer to achieving my goals

Don't, don't lose faith in me
Please continue to believe in me and have confidence in my abilities

I know you've been waitin'
I'm aware that you've been waiting patiently for me

I know you've been prayin' for my soul
I understand that you've been praying for my well-being and spiritual growth

Thirty years you been draggin' your feet
For thirty years, you've been hesitant and slow to make progress

Tellin' me I'm the reason we're stagnant
Blaming me for the lack of progress we've made

Thirty years you've been claiming you're honest
You've been proclaiming your honesty for three decades

And promising progress, well, where's it at?
You've made promises of progress, but where is the actual result?

I don't want you to feel like a failure (failure)
I don't want you to perceive yourself as a failure

But I gave you your chance to deliver (deliver)
I provided you with an opportunity to fulfill your promises

Now it's my turn
Now it's my chance to take the lead

Don't get me wrong, Nate, you've had a great run
Don't misunderstand me, Nate, you've had a successful journey so far

But it's time to give the people somethin' different
It's time to offer the audience something new and unique

So without further ado, I'd
Without any more delay, I would

Like to introduce my
Like to present my

(My album, my album, my album, my album, my album, my album, my album)
(The product of my creativity and hard work)

What's my definition of success? (Of success)
How do I define success?

Listening to what your heart says (your heart says)
Paying attention to the desires and instincts of your heart

Standing up for what you know is (is)
Taking a stand for what you believe is right

Right, while everybody else is (is)
When others conform or act according to societal norms

Tucking their tail between their legs (okay)
Retreating or backing down cowardly

Creating something no one else can (else can)
Producing something unique and unparalleled

Being brave enough to dream big (big)
Having the courage to envision and pursue ambitious goals

Grindin' when you're told to just quit (quit)
Persisting and working hard even when advised to give up

Giving more when you got nothin' left (left)
Sacrificing and putting in extra effort even when depleted

It's a person that'll take a chance on
It's someone who dares to take a risk on

Something they were told could never happen
Something they were informed was impossible or unlikely to occur

It's a person that can see the bright side through the dark times when there ain't one
It's someone who can find positivity in the midst of difficult moments

It's when someone who ain't never had nothin'
It's when an individual who has never had much

Ain't afraid to walk away from more profit
Isn't hesitant to let go of potential monetary gain

'Cause they'd rather do somethin' that they really love and take the pay cut
Because they prefer pursuing something they are passionate about, even if it means earning less

It's a person that would never waver
It's someone who would never hesitate or falter

Or change who they are
Or alter their true identity

Just to try and gain some credibility
Only to seek validation and acceptance from others

So they could feel accepted by a stranger
In order to experience approval from an unfamiliar individual

It's a person that can take the failures in their life and turn them into motivation
It's someone who can transform their past failures into a source of inspiration

It's believing in yourself when no one else does, it's amazing
It's having faith in oneself even in the absence of external support, and it's incredible

What a little bit of faith can do if you don't even believe in you
The transformative power of having even a small amount of faith in oneself

Why would you think or expect anybody else that's around you to?
Why would you anticipate others to believe in you if you don't believe in yourself?

I done did things that I regret
I have done actions that I feel remorseful about

I done said things I can't take back
I have made statements that cannot be undone

Was a lost soul at a crossroad who had no hope but I changed that
I was once without direction and hope, but I managed to alter my path

I spent years of my life holdin' on to things I never should've kept, full of hatred
For years, I clung to things that I should have let go of, which filled me with anger

Years of my life carryin' a lot of baggage that I should've walked away from
Years of my life burdened by emotional baggage that I should have left behind

Years of my life wishin' I was someone different, lookin' for some validation
Years spent desiring to be someone else and seeking approval from others

Years of my life tryna fill the void, pretending I was in
Years spent attempting to fill an emptiness by pretending to be content

They get it
They understand

Growing pain's a necessary evil
Experiencing growth involves enduring necessary hardships

Difficult to go through, yes, but beneficial
Although challenging, these experiences are ultimately advantageous

Some would say having a mental breakdown is a negative thing
Many would consider a mental breakdown to be a negative occurrence

Which on one hand, I agree with
To some extent, I concur with that viewpoint

On the other hand, it was the push I needed
However, it was the catalyst that propelled me forward

To get help and start the healing process, see
To seek assistance and begin the journey of healing

If I'd have never hit rock bottom
Had I never reached my lowest point

Would I be the person that I am today?
Would I have become the person I am now?

I don't believe so
I don't think that would have been the case

I'm a prime example of what happens when you choose to not accept defeat and face your demons
I am a clear illustration of the outcome when one refuses to surrender and confronts personal struggles

Took me thirty years to realize that if you want to get the opportunity
It took me thirty years to understand that to seize opportunities

To be the greatest version of yourself
To become the best possible version of oneself

Sometimes you got to be someone you're not to hear the voice of reason
Occasionally, you need to adopt a different persona to find clarity and wisdom

Having kids will make you really take a step back and look in the mirror
Having children forces you to reevaluate yourself deeply and reflect on your actions

At least for me that's what it did, I
At least, that was the case for me, as I

Wake up every day and pick my son up, hold him in my arms
Every day, I wake up and embrace my son, holding him close

And let him know he's loved (loved)
I make sure he is aware of how loved he is

Standing by the window questioning if dad is ever going to show up (up)
Standing near the window, my son wondering if I will ever be present

Isn't something he's gon' have to worry about
That won't be a concern for him

Don't get it twisted, that wasn't a shot
Don't misunderstand, I wasn't taking a jab at anyone

Mama, I forgive you
Mother, I have forgiven you

I just don't want him to grow up thinkin' that he'll never be enough
I simply don't want my son to develop the belief that he is inadequate

Thirty years of running, thirty years of searching
Three decades spent running away and relentlessly seeking

Thirty years of hurting, thirty years of pain
Thirty years filled with agony and suffering

Thirty years of fearful, thirty years of anger
Thirty years marked by fear and anger

Thirty years of empty, thirty years of shame
Thirty years characterized by emptiness and shame

Thirty years of broken, thirty years of anguish
Thirty years of being shattered and enduring immense distress

Thirty years of hopeless, thirty years of (hey)
Thirty years of hopelessness, thirty years of desperation

Thirty years of never, thirty years of maybe
Thirty years of constant disappointment, thirty years of uncertainty

Thirty years of later, thirty years of fake
Thirty years of postponement, thirty years of pretense

Thirty years of hollow, thirty years of sorrow
Thirty years filled with emptiness and grief

Thirty years of darkness, thirty years of (Nate)
Thirty years overshadowed by darkness, thirty years of struggle (referring to himself)

Thirty years of baggage, thirty years of sadness
Thirty years burdened by emotional baggage and sorrow

Thirty years of stagnant, thirty years of chains
Thirty years of stagnation and feeling imprisoned

Thirty years of anxious, thirty years of suffering
Thirty years plagued by anxiety and enduring pain

Thirty years of torment, thirty years of (wait)
Thirty years of torment, thirty years of agony

Thirty years of bitter, thirty years of lonely
Thirty years filled with bitterness and loneliness

Thirty years of pushing everyone away
Thirty years of pushing people away and creating distance

(You'll never evolve) I know I can change
(You'll never progress) I am aware that I can transform

(We are not enough) we are not the same
(We are inadequate) we are different individuals

(You don't have the heart) you don't have the strength
(You lack courage) you lack the ability

(You don't have the will) you don't have the faith
(You lack determination) you have no faith

(You'll never be loved) you'll never be safe
(You'll never be loved) you'll never be secure

(Might as well give up) not running away
(You might as well quit) not escaping from the situation

(You don't have the guts) you're the one afraid
(You lack courage) you're the fearful one

I'm the one in charge
I'm the individual in control

I'm taking the (no)
I'm taking the lead, not accepting defeat

I'm taking the
I'm taking the

Reigns
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