Trick Trick says rapper's weight blown out of proportion

Much has been said in recent weeks about the alleged weight gain of Eminem. Even Slim Fast has weighed in, so to speak, with a diet plan for not-as-Slim Shady. But emerging Detroit emcee Trick Trick says everyone has it all wrong, and that while the multiplatinum rapper may have gained a few pounds, he's not fat, and is still on his game.

"Em just picked up some weight, that's it," Trick, a fellow Detroit native, told MTV. "He's nowhere [near] 250 pounds or anything like that. He picked up a little weight. He ain't walkin' around obese or some s*** though. He can still run two miles if you want him to and still out-box the majority of them. My man still gets down."

The rapper said that Eminem appears on Trick's upcoming independent LP, The Villain, as does Dr. Dre and Kid Rock. "He's still the coldest that ever did it," Trick said. "The game needs his album. He's rapping on [my album track] 'Who Want It.' He's like, 'Who want it?' [In the song] he's hanging out and these f***ing idiots are always at it. If you want it, come get it. He ain't trying to do nothing but be Em. I'm being me. If you want it, I got ya. He's Em on there. He's going for it. Whoever wants some can come get it. Em produced and rapped on it."

Def Jam denies Nas departure over title

The man who sparked a litany of debates with his last album title continues to do so with his next. Several online outlets reported this week that Def Jam was set to dump Nas over his choice of Nigga--later changed to Nigger--as the title for his next album. The reports were based on retailers' stance that they could not carry an album by that name on its shelves.

Def Jam representatives denied those reports, telling Rolling Stone that they have no basis. "That is absolutely ridiculous and untrue," Def Jam told the mag. The album is due for release next month.

Gwen Stefani is pregnant

The rich and beautiful continue to procreate. Gwen Stefani and husband Gavin Rossdale are reportedly expecting their second child. People magazine reported that Douglas Rossdale, the father of former Bush singer Gavin Rossdale, confirmed that the couple are expecting their second child.

"They and the whole family are delighted," the elder Rossdale told the magazine. British tabloid newspaper The Sun reported that the singer is 13 weeks pregnant. Stefani, 38, and Rossdale, 40, are the parents of Kingston Rossdale, who will turn 2 in May.

Stefani was set to be a part of No Doubt's first studio album in seven years. Her bandmates have been working on tracks for the album, largely without Stefani, since 2006.

Slash: Weiland to reunite with STP mates

Stone Temple Pilots will play a series of reunion shows this summer with Scott Weiland, according to Weiland's Velvet Revolver bandmate Slash. In an interview with Billboard.com, Slash said that the reunion shows will occur sometime after Velvet Revolver wraps a spring tour in support of its second album, Libertad.

STP broke up in late 2002; the band's last album was Shangri-La Dee Da in 2001. No other details have yet been revealed about STP's plans. Velvet Revolver tour continues Thursday with a show at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC.

New Kids' Wood denies reunion rumors

The boy band that launched a bevy of wannabes is not coming back--at least not yet. Danny Wood, an original member of New Kids on the Block and now a singer/songwriter, posted a MySpace note this week to respond to reports that that NKOTB was reuniting for a tour and a reality show.

Wood wrote: "Hello to everyone. Hope all is well and everyone is enjoying the New Year. I wanted to address the rumors of the NKOTB Reunion Tour. There has been no talk of this and you are getting it from source directly. Never say never, and you can't believe everything you read. On another note my solo record will be released in Australia in March. There are a few new songs on it and I hope you guys will check it out."

The rumors kicked off over the weekend when a redesigned New Kids Web site appeared, touting the group's accomplishments and indicating that fans are dying for a comeback. The boy band sold more than 50 million albums and became a worldwide phenomenon before calling it quits in 1994.

Judge denies Foxy's request

If Foxy Brown needs to get her hearing aid repaired as she has alleged, she can do so without traveling to California. That's the word from New York State Supreme Court Justice Melissa Jackson, who reviewed the imprisoned rapper's request to get out of jail early so she can go to the House Clinic in Los Angeles for an ear examination and for a repair of her electronic ear implant.

Brown, 29, revealed her hearing problems during a court appearance in 2004. Her petition to Jackson said that her condition was worsening in jail and that she faced serious harm to her hearing unless she had the cochlear implant reprogrammed and repaired. Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, was sentenced in September 2007 to a year in jail for violating probation. Jackson had put her on probation after she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of two manicurists at a Manhattan nail salon in August 2004.