Enigmista literally translates to "riddler" or "puzzle-maker". It's a unique word that directly references a famous comic book villain, making it instantly recognizable and intriguing for many.
In the song, the artist uses it to describe a woman who plays "giochi mentali" (mind games), comparing her to the Enigmista. This clever comparison adds a layer of intrigue and personality to the lyrics, making the word memorable and engaging.
Artie 5ive spends most of this track telling you his own nickname. "Nel business mi chiamano 'Big 5ive'" (In the business they call me 'Big 5ive') comes back so often it stops being a boast and turns into a running joke, and the hook hangs it on a woman he cannot read: "E fa giochi mentali come l'Enigmista" (And she plays mind games like the Riddler), l'Enigmista being the Italian name for Batman's villain. The verses run through the usual money and cars, but the writing is sharper than the subject. "Schiaccio chi odia come formiche" (I crush the haters like ants) is blunt and good, and the best line in the song is a tax joke: "Sembro svizzero, lascio le mance, io odio pagare le tasse" (I look Swiss, I leave the tips, I hate paying taxes).
One line belongs to a different song altogether. "Sento il ghetto nelle conchiglie" (I hear the ghetto in the seashells) works the way you hear the sea in a shell held to your ear, and it is the only time he looks backward instead of at the receipts. Then the sirens turn up, the Nissan hits 180, and the hook comes round again.
Artie 5ive is Ivan Arturo Barioli, born in Milan in 2000 to a family from Sierra Leone. He raps about the city he came up in and the money that got him out of it, usually in the same breath.
His first album, Aspettando la bellavita, reached number 8 in Italy in 2023 and went double platinum. Two years later La bellavita went straight to number 1 and triple platinum, and in between he and Rondodasosa put out Motivation 4 the Streetz together. If you know one thing of his it is probably "Cadillac", the Boro single he features on that went to number 1, or "Top G" with Sacky.