Brings the Heat, Vol. 1 [Edited] (CD - 2005)

Wendy Williams dubs herself the "Queen of All Media" and who can argue (and who would dare)? From her perch in downtown New York City as afternoon DJ for America's biggest hip-hop station, Hot 97, Williams dishes the dirt on celebrities, be they rappers, singers, movie stars, or assorted hangers-on. Her knack for a scoop and ever-ready wit and fire have earned her a rabid following rivaled by few gossip mavens.

Not surprisingly, her first collection of R&B and hip-hop tracks (arranged mix-tape style), WENDY WILLIAMS BRINGS THE HEAT, VOL. 1, is loaded with exclusives from a host of superstars. The collection opens with a spark, as hip-hop-soul crooner Amerie is joined by rap's premier wordsmith Nas on "Man Up!," the first of many tracks unavailable elsewhere. Deemi brings the track "The Hoodz Princess," whose lyrics could almost be a theme for the DJ if Williams didn't break into her own collection to announce Mario Winans's "Stand Up" (a track on which she contributed an inspirational guest speech) as her album's theme song. Williams is the foremost voice in her field and, fittingly, she stirs up a solid collection on WENDY WILLIAMS BRINGS THE HEAT, VOL. 1. minimize