NF drops a heavy hitter with Who I Was, track three on his upcoming EP FEAR, out November 14 via NF Real Music. Teaming up with mgk—Machine Gun Kelly—for the first time, this one’s got that raw collision of NF’s surgical introspection and mgk’s street-scarred fire, all zeroed in on looking back without flinching.
It’s the kind of collab that feels inevitable after years of both guys carving out space in rap’s emotional underbelly, from NF’s therapy-session bars on The Search to mgk’s vulnerable pivots in Hotel Diablo.
[Picture this: NF, the Michigan preacher’s kid turned platinum poet, unpacking identity shifts over a beat that builds like a storm—minimalist keys giving way to those signature orchestral drops. mgk jumps in with his Cleveland grit, trading verses on lost selves and hard-won growth, turning what could be a therapy rant into a mirror for anyone who’s outgrown their old skin.] Fans caught the first whiff in NF’s announcement post yesterday, and X lit up quick—clips teasing the hook have folks calling it “rap song of the year” already, with one post screaming it’s an “era-defining” team-up that hits deep on regret and redemption. Another fan nailed the vibe: “I think this new NF and MGK song will be pretty deep. I can see MGK dropping a verse that just hits deeply.”
FEAR clocks in at six tracks total, stacking heavyweights like James Arthur on Sorry, but Who I Was stands out as the gut-punch pivot—NF’s way of flipping fear into fuel, with mgk adding that unpredictable spark. If his last drops like Hope taught us anything, this EP’s set to unpack the chaos we all carry. Pre-saves are spiking, and for good reason: it’s NF at his most unfiltered, reminding us who we were shapes who we fight to become.
Dive into the WHO I WAS lyrics below and unpack its identity storm. Don’t miss other FEAR tracks for more of NF’s unflinching truth.
Lyrics of WHO I WAS by NF & mgk
[Chorus: NF & mgk]
Ash And Dust
Everything I Care About Enough
Burning Up (Yeah)
(Alright, Turn My—Uhh, Vocals Up) You’re The Rest Of Who I Thought I Was
(And Then Just Let It Run) I Was
[Verse 1: mgk]
I’m Stuck In Traffic
Tryna Find My Way To A Home That I’ve Never Known
On A Gps With No Address
So I’ll Follow My Heart But My Heart Is Scattered
Like My Father’s Ashes In The Back Of The Rental After I Dropped His Urn
Probably A Metaphor For Everything I’ve Learned
Like How The Only Love I’ll Have Is Gonna Crash And Burn
Or How The Poorest I’ve Felt Was After The Most I’ve Earned
The Biggest Lie Told Is That No One Should Be Concerned
There’s Gotta Be Another Highway That Don’t Lead To Hell
A Star To Lead Me Through The Darkest Night Like Christian Bale
I Hid From God For More Than Two Decades Of Life
And When I Came Back To The Light, He Didn’t Ask Me If I’m Christian Still
Just Opened Up His Arms And Embraced Me Like I’m His Son
Erasin’ All The Archetypes Of What People Like Me Become
Since I Was Young, My Personality Split Like Serpent’s Tongue
But All The Poison In My Body Still Ain’t Make Me Numb
I Lost A Best Friend And Felt All That
Cryin’ On His Open Casket While I Knelt On That
I Had A Best Man Picked Out For My Wedding
But Instead Of Getting Married, I Carried Guilt And Left All That
A Vagabond That Broke A Bond For Boca Raton
Who All Along Regretted He Never Kept All That
I Left Everything Behind But This Engagement Ring And A Frozen Heart
I’m Standin’ In The Fire To Melt All That, Yeah
[Chorus: NF]
Ash And Dust
Everything I Care About Enough
(Burn) Burning Up
You’re The Rest Of Who I Thought I Was
I Was
[Bridge: NF]
I, I, I Was
Yeah
(Burn)
[Verse 2: NF]
Lash Out
Need To Take A Breath And Calm Down
Try To Regulate, Don’t Know How
Wasn’t Taught That In My House
Kids Of My Own, I Stare Back
Look At Those Smiles And Feel Sad
Hope They Don’t Wind Up Like Dad
Stuck In This Loop Like I Am
I’ve—
Called You, Never Heard Back
After Everything We’ve Been Through, The Good And The Bad
You’re ’bout To Throw It All Away And Overreact
Because I Overreacted, Karma I Guess
My Temper Gets The Best Of Me
A Part Of Me That I Wish I Knew How To Get Rid Of
It’s The Issue I Have, My M.O
Say I Need You And I Love You To Death
Then Turn Around And Go And Treat You Like You Nothin’ But Trash
I Know
[Break: NF]
I Know I Messed That Part Up, But
[Outro: NF]
I Know, I Know, I Know, I Know
Yeah, I Know
Sometimes, I
Lash Out
Need To Take A Breath And Calm Down
Try To Regulate, Don’t Know How
Wasn’t Taught That In My House
Kids Of My Own, I Stare Back
Look At Those Smiles And Feel Sad
Hope They Don’t Wind Up Like Dad
Stuck In This Loop Like I Am
I—
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