Customer Reviews

Enigma

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you check Keith Murray's lyric sheet, you will know that he lays down some of the most complex lyrics to ever come out of one's mouth. No doubt he is a lyrical genius, if you heard his debut The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World. With this album, he turned up the intensity of his lyrics and got some darker production form producers like Erick Sermon.

The best songs on here are the ones when Keith doesn't wonder all over the world with his lyrics. Meaning that he is staight foward, and not come up with something that has no topic. A few of my favorites are "Manifique (Origonal Rules)" and "The Rhyme". The production on those tracks are excellent too. "Call My Name" is a nice song (not sure who he is aiming that to on here), but Keith has a message for those who steps to him. Another excellent cut would be Def Squad cut "Yeah". That track also features Busta Rhymes, and Erick Sermon produced a phat beat to listen to.

Enigma is an excellent album for Keith Murray's catalog. It's a little more dark sounding than his debut, but he still has the lyrical skills to let anyone know he was bringing the heat back in '96. Fans of Def Squad should already have this in their hands. If you're new to Keith Murray, check out The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World, before checking this one. Peace.

Lyrics: A-
Production: A-
Guest Appearances: B+
Musical Vibes: A-

Top 5 Tracks:
1. Yeah (featuring Erick Sermon, Redman, Busta Rhymes, and Jamal)
2. The Rhyme
3. Manifique (Origonal Rules)
4. Dangerous Ground
5. Call My Name

Honorable Mention:
1. Love L.O.D. (featuring 50 Grand and Kel Vicious)

After a great first album, Keith Murray follows it up with Enigma. The album does have its flaws like Rhymin Wit Kel and Dangerou Ground(which was boring on the Dangerous Ground Soundtrack and is boring now). Outside of those two joints the album is great. Call My Name, Manifique(Original Rules), How To Def and What A Feelin show you why Keith Murray is one of the most underrated eastcoaster. I liked his first single The Rhyme and the remix is not a bad touch. Busta Rhymes, Redman, Erick Sermon and Jamal totally ripped Yeah in half. Love L.O.D. is another highlight as Keith Murray, Kel-Vicious and 50 Grand let of steam on the track. Keith Murray gives a touching tribute to his fallen partner on To My Mans with Dave Hollister adding to a good chorus. Bottom Line: Keith Murray's Enigma is Keith Murray at his best and is unquestionably a rap highlight of 1996. Keith Murray was still on fire when this album came out so you could expect the best from him. Standout Tracks: CALL MY NAME, MANIFIQUE(ORIGINAL RULES), THE RHYME(original and remix), WHAT A FEELIN, YEAH, LOVE L.O.D., TO MY MANS and WORLD BE FREE.

Keith Murray steps out for another dictionary rhyme book tales with another album entitled Enigma. He impressively both used a vocabulary to conversant with scholars and entertained his listeners with tales of adventure with titles like "World Be Free" and the heartfelt "To My Mans" featuring Dave Hollister. As he begins by antagonizing others on "Intro" it continues over to "Call My Name" as he dares any competition to contest. "Dangerous Ground" featuring 50 Grand is more upbeat than usual for Keith, but his ability to adapt nearly passes by. The highlight of this LP is "What A Feelin'" with its groovy, scale runs with the bass. "Love L.O.D." featuring 50 Grand & Kel-Vicious is a good display of patience and the tight knit of L.O.D. as the trio shows why they are the nicest in this profession. To close, Keith Murray's Enigma is lyrically fulfilling.

There are very few tracks that slip in quality ("Intro", "Rhymin' Wit Kel" and "To My Mans"), the rest of the album is east coast thump like it should be! Erick Sermon lowers the boom with beats that hit hard and Keith Murray spits fire throughout.
"Dangerous Ground" and "What A Feelin'" are personal favorites. Highly recommended.

Man this CD is so slept on. I can't even stress enough how ill Keith Murray's lyrics are. People that have not heard any of his CD's are nothing but sleepers. I bought this CD years ago and it still to this day gets mad play. Dangerous Ground is one of the tightest beats to ever drop. And the lyrics that he spits over all of his beats are right on point. This is what real hip-hop is all about.

This CD came out with little publicity at all (I'm sure you can tell by the lack of reviews). Anyway, this cat is nice. I first heard this CD in 1996. Back then I really wasn't buying music, but I ended up copping it in 1999. This is Keith Murray for real. Not the "Yeah, Yeah, You No It" stuff. Heavily underrated CD.

Mr Keith murray the rap enigma brings us his second LP "Enigma"! this album is just fire ill rhymes, ill beats(courtesy of eric sermon) ill concepts & ill guest appearances from busta rhymes, redman, dave hollister, 50 grand, kel vicious, & young jamal! This album keith comes in with various shots at mobb deep who tried to subliminaly diss redmn, keith, & eric sermon, on a skit off the infamous. the "Rhyme" is the only single released for this album which has keith rapping over a nice Franky Beverly & MAZE sample. This whole album is certified classic but the tracks that I really took notice of was The rhyme of course & the rhyme remix which has the same lyrics but over a different beat done by the late J Dilla! "Whuts Happenin" is keith describing whats been going with him & the rap game over a nice beat also he takes another jab a mobb deep "then you got rap artist claiming to be the hardest bust in they ish & they quick to press charges" "Dangerous Ground" a great track with keith & his boy 50 grand going back & forth trading ill verses warning punk mcs to stay out of their path. "Yeah" is bomb track with keith, busta, redman, eric sermon, & little jamal tearing up the mic! "To My Mans" a great heartfelt track from keith (reminds me of some of the tracks from OC's word life & jewelz) basically talking about the people in his life who are dead & gone & thats hes trying to keep his head up in this crazy world. And finally My fav track "World Be Free" is another banger a concept track if you will where keith describes how hes travels all over the world state to state country to country interstate to tristate ripping up the mic where he raps line slike "Kentucky was lucky I had to much hennessey When I was representing love love in Tenessee Kansas City Missouri can speak upon the glory St. louis can even tell the story Of how I drop ish thick and cold like the snow in Chicago A major up in Ohio" or "I transformed like Dr. Bruce Banner Stepped off the plane and blacked out up in Canada I'm a million dollar man like Lee Majors messed around and hit the jackpot up in Vegas" This album is just as good if not better than his first LP so with that said, pick up the Enigma you won't be disappointed!

Keith Murray returns after 2 years, to bring a solid 4.5 star sophomore solo album. Of the 6 solo's of his I have this may be the best (close with "Rap-Murr-Phobia" - both 4.5 stars), he has 3 4 star albums, ("The Most Beautifullest Thing in the World", "Puff Puff Pass" and a low 4 star album in "It's a Beautiful Thing"), and one 3.5 star album in "He's Keith Murray", not to mention Def Squad albums. This one has 12 songs, of the 12, 2 are almost classic, 2 are ok, the others are good, mostly real good songs. Guests are on 4 songs rapping and do the hook on one more. Production is very nice as well, no surprise as Erick Sermon does 8 songs, Sugarless does 2, and Rod Kirkpatrick and The Ummah each do 1. As usual he shows why he is one of the top lyricists to grace the mic, in my opinion as his lyrics are always on point. A must have album for his fans.

# 2 - 9(nice beat)
#3 - 9 (nice beat)
#4 - 8.5
#5 - 9.5 (great beat)
#6 - 8 (f/ 50 Grand)
#7 - 9.5 (f/ Kel Vicious -- great beat)
#8 - 9
#9 - 9 (nice beat)
#10 - 9 (f/ Erick Sermon, Busta Rhymes, Jamal, Redman -- nice beat0
#11 - 7 (f/ Kel Vicious & 50 Grand)
#12 - 8.5 (f/ Dave Hollister)
#13 - 7.5
#14 - 8.5 (remix of #5 with not as good of a beat)

Keith Murray - Long Island, NY
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This is one my top 10 favorite albums of all time... all genres... Not a single flaw. One of those albums you can get to know every word to.

The Best work for east coast if it isnt Premo is Underground Smooth Sounding beats and this has them. 1 of my personal favorites Go Get It you will love this