While Shiest Bubz does less to distinguish himself from the rest of the Purple City collective and even the wider Diplomats ranks than, say, the gruff-voiced Agallah, he does hold his own on the mike. His 14-track solo debut follows the adventures of the Harlem hustler known as the I.B.D., encountered by listeners at his bail hearing after getting caught with 660 pounds of marijuana. Shiest's appreciation for "piff" -- a term he claims to have introduced into the hip-hop lexicon, announcing, "You can market the piff but you already know/I coined the word, urban dictionary flow" -- is referenced on nearly every song. But all inside slang aside, the Purple City CEO brings little to the table that scores of other weed-obsessed MCs haven't offered before. Similarly, his take on the dope game vs. the rap game covers ground previously covered by other hustler-turned-rapper types, most notably Jay-Z, from whom Shiest lifts at least one punch line -- see track nine, the skit Piff and Sour. Still, whatever Shiest the lyricist lacks in originality, he makes up for with charisma. Over its 14 tracks, The I.B.D. incorporates a number of disparate hip-hop trends -- from the Jeezy-esque Empire with its zooming synths and sped-up drums and Shiest's tongue-in-cheek Nelly impression on the catchy pop rap cut $ Aint Rite, through to the H-Town-influenced Posted on the Strip and Movin Byrds -- and, of the many styles Shiest Bubz tries his hand at, he manages to execute all fairly well. Though far from groundbreaking, this Purple City effort holds the listener's attention thanks in part to its entertaining narrative thread (woven through a series of inspired interludes) and top-notch production work from the likes of Ill Tone, Cookin Soul, E-Jones, and Tie Stick. ~ Matt Rinaldi, Rovi

1		Intro
2		Looking Hungry
3		This Is Purple City
4		Empire
5		$ Aint Rite
6		Chinese Food [Skit]
7		Balling or Crawlin
8		Dream
9		Piff and Sour [Skit]
10		Playboy Swagg
11		Open Ya Eyes
12		Fistfull of $
13		Who Dat? [Skit]
14		Posted on da Strip
15		Movin Byrds
16		Conversate