Anywhere But Here - Nyck Caution: Review

Nyck Caution

is a New York rapper and long time member of the Pro Era hip hop collective. He released his first mixtape back in 2016 but attracted much more attention on collaborative projects like his mixtape alongside Kirk Knight, Nyck @ Knight, or the Pro Era, Flatbush Zombies and Underachievers super group Beast Coast. Those projects led up to this, his debut album which features numerous Pro Era and Flatbush Zombies members in its tracklist. 

Review By Lav:

While Nyck Caution has never been one of my favorite Pro Era members he does have plenty of standout moments and consistently shows up to contribute solid material to nearly every project he appears on. Most of my favorite Nyck Caution moments thus far come on the Nyck @ Knight mixtape where he and fellow Pro Era member Kirk Knight deliver sharp introspective hip hop dark intimate instrumentals to great success. Given how many years its been since Nyck's last solo mixtape I was hoping we would see improvement and while the album isn't perfect I think its definitely a step in the right direction.

Contained in the 4 singles released in the lead up to the record are three of its most high profile features and they all turn out pretty good. How You Live It came first and features Joey Badass. To get in the mood Nyck spits some bars that feel like classic Joey lyricism most notably "Early morning I jack off, so when I fuck you girl in the afternoon I last long" and some hilarious specific bars about instagram ass pics. While the song doesn't have the best Joey feature I've ever heard he still comfortably does his thing and the result is enjoyable. Product Of My Environment features Erick from Flatbush Zombies and Kota The Friend for a New York posse cut. Thematically the song focuses on people's negative decisions being a reflection of the world around them and it holds onto that concept really well. The song doesn't really have a hook but it doesn't need one particularly when Erick comes in for the final verse and totally steals the show. Bad Day feels more like a Denzel Curry track featuring Nyck Caution but I'm okay with it because its one of my favorite songs here. The pair have a surprising amount of chemistry together and the whole thing honestly reminds me of Run The Jewels, I think it's one of the best bangers of Nyck's career. 

There are a number of good highlights among the records deep cuts starting with Anywhere But Here. The song has a slick jazzy instrumental and a confrontational performance from Nyck. He takes on one long verse that dives into all kinds of themes that pop up across the record and does it without much filler or reprise. What You Want is the first true banger in the tracklist with an ethereal hard-hitting beat and in your face chorus. The real highlight once again is Nyck's bars where he doesn't hold back with high energy and creativity throughout. The last big highlight on the record is Things Could Be Worse which is by far the grandest song of the bunch and in a way the poppiest as the beat is totally radio ready and the hook is wordy but memorable. The CJ Fly feature is solid even if his gruff demeanor stands out from the rest of the song I still enjoy listening to it all. 

December 24th was released as a single and serves as the opening track but I think its a little dry. The chorus is super forgettable and the beat is low impact, its clearly meant to be about Nyck and his lyricism but I wish there was more going on than this. Motion Sickness is another laid back song with a very relaxed beat that gives Nyck a lot of room to work. Unfortunately the hook is a total miss and has nothing memorable about it. There are some bars I like but overall the track doesn't stick with me. Dirt On Your Name also doesn't really do it for me with an instrumental so simple its almost distracting. It would be better if I was a bigger fan of Nyck's lyricism but I don't think the song holds up lyrically to the rest of the album in terms of content. 

Coat Check / Session 47 is a two part track as you'd expect from the title but it doesn't really have anything that creative or compelling the make the pairing of songs worthwhile. I'm not super sure that the two ideas fir perfectly together and I like the second half a lot more. Something To Remember Me By has an ambitious concept but the result is just super sleepy. I think an eerie electronically tinged personal rap ballad is a really cool idea worth exploring but the execution here leaves a lot to be desired. Kids That Wish is the only track on the record with a kind of headass ideology which is a problem I've had a lot with Nyck in the past. The whole track sees Nyck saying his music is aimed a the "kids that wish" which apparently excludes people who use tik tok. The song itself is decent but there are some boomer ass lyrics that make it difficult. 

Anywhere But Here is a flawed but ultimately worthwhile record full of New York hip hop staples executed by somebody who is quickly becoming a veteran of the style. There are fiery performances, meditative beats and thematically tight tracks all around, making for an album that most hip hop fans will want to give an honest shot in 2021. 6/10

Album Cover Review By Tyler Judson:

This cover has a lot of visual texture and keeps your eyes moving from each position of the composition. I like that each section has something to look at inside it and there is no unused space. The stark white stands out against the sky and the bright colors of the hot air balloons give you interest within the dark space. I like the text and how the piece directs you eye straight to it. Overall successful cover. 7.5/10

For more Pro Era check out my review of Beast Coast's Escape From New York here