Detroit veteran Ty Farris returns after nearly a year with his 11th record. He appeared on numerous projects under the name T-Flame from the mid-2000s to the end of the decade, and it was at that time that he began churning out solo work, releasing 11 mixtapes, all 10 of his previous albums, and 3 EPs. Standouts include the Room 39 duo and No Cosign Just Cocaine series, Malice at the Palace by Machacha and Sounds That Never Left My Soul by Graymatter. After a full summer, Ty returns as Attitude Mystery.
Following the intro to “Riddler Meets Jigsaw,” first Futurewave-produced track “Alchemy in the Trenches” sets the tone, from booming BAP production to Ty’s killer lyricism, while “Riddles from a Ruger” talks about never having to to reading his works to the accompaniment of chipmunk soul instrumentals. “Puzzle Full of Pistols” has to be another favorite of mine, from the Animoss beat to the bar’s full magazine about problem solving, but then the low boom bap cut “Mind of the Jigsaw” reveals the charismatic villain.
The atmosphere of “Man, Myth, Mystery” is noticeably darker as August Fanon cranks up the music as loud as possible before “The Enigma” talks mysteriously about remaining mysterious. “True Identity” nervously advances the album’s second half at a different pace, asking why he still needs to move the bag when making music, leading to the sumptuous “Villain with the Smile” that smiles at the enemy playing chess at the highest level.
At the start of Enigma with an Attitude’s encore, the song “Who Got the Answers” returns to a booming rhythm, explaining that’s another question for another day, while the instrumental “3rd Eye Never Lie” from Wavy da Ghawd “The lyrics about the focused stance when you see something different is another personal favorite. Even the haunting Camoflauge Monk beats and bends on the title track are 20 times better than your favorite MC.
After a year’s break, T-Flame returns for a journey that stretches back to seventh grade, filled with thought-provoking lines and intense renditions of mysteries. He does this by photographing street scenes and living conditions, and if you really think that streets are mysterious and very complex, then he bends them with Enigma themes. Even though Ty does things differently, he still gives the world something that forces you to think in painful ways.
Score: 8/10
