The Queens of Comedy

This audio companion to a Showtime special presents a kind of ladies' night of humor with comics Miss Laura Hayes from Martin, Adele Givens and Mo'nique from The Parkers, and Sommore from The Hughleys. Each runs through an uncensored, often hilarious litany of true-life pitfalls, from sex (Sommore's "Men Over 30"), drugs (Hayes's "Paranoid Roommate"), to politics and sex (Mo'nique's "The President"). None of the women mince words, so adults should heed the parental advisory sticker. The disc is padded with smooth R&B tracks from Gladys Knight and Patti Labelle, who pulls out all the stops for Diane Warren's slinky "Call Me Gone." The remix of "I Can Tell" by Monifah, featuring Murphy Lee of the St. Lunatics, is a solid hip-hop bomb that slyly incorporates the Waitresses' new wave anthem "I Know What Boys Like" into the groove. –Rob O'Connor