Rapper NF, who is billed as a “Christian rapper,” has beaten big names such as Chance The Rapper by grabbing the number one album on the charts this month.

NF, whose given name is Nathan Feuerstein, has been called the Eminem without the explicit lyrics. The 28-year-old Christian entertainer has also experienced trials and tribulations in his life including the overdose death of his mother in 2009.

But instead of channeling his life experiences into negative images, NF’s path has brought him to a relationship with Jesus Christ. Consequently, his new album, “The Search,” hits these themes of mental health, self-acceptance, and a search for a way forward. And NF’s search has just brought him the top spot on the charts.

“I want to thank every single fan who supported me by buying this album,” NF wrote to his fans. “I put my life into this and to see this much support means a lot to me…thank you to my label for letting me do whatever I want creatively since day one. The fans made this album #1, and I am forever grateful.”

NF first signed with Capitol Christian Music Group in 2014 and has worked with several other Christian artists. But he does not necessarily consider himself strictly a Christian entertainer.

“I mean, I’m a Christian, but I’m just an artist…To me it’s like if you’re a Christian and you’re a plumber, are you a Christian plumber?” he recently said, according to Fox.

Along with having the number one album, NF has two songs on the Billboard Hot 100; “The Search” and “Time.” A tune from his third album, “Perception,” also charted in 2017.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.