Akon says Eminem, Kim to reconcile

Eminem and Kim in happier times.

Today's entry in the "No f***ing way" department: According to "Smack That" crooner Akon, Eminem has reconciled once again with on-again, off-again wife Kim Mathers, and the couple is engaged. If the Senegalese crooner is correct and isn't the victim of some sort of cultural misunderstanding, that would make it the third time Eminem and Kim have tied the knot. Their second marriage lasted less than four months. "Eminem still loves Kim," Akon told The Daily Mirror. "They have one of those relationships where they are off one minute and back together the next. He can't live with her and he can't live without her. But they are meant for each other. They are engaged again."

The news comes in the wake of Kim's appearance on the ABC show 20/20, in which she blamed the demise of their marriage on Eminem's infidelity and their rocky history. "In our relationship there's a pattern," she said. "We'll have two good years and then it will go bad for some reason. It's like a two year max with us." She said the latest divorce occurred following her argument with Eminem's brother. "For the sake of our children that we raise together, I have made a decision to not participate in matters such as this," Eminem said in a statement issued to 20/20. The couple was married for the first time in 1999 and split up in 2001, then they got hitched again in January 2006 only to divorce 82 days later.

Gnarls Barkley hold poetry contest

Gnarls Barkley

Interested in writing a haiku about either solitude or pineapples? How about both? Grammy-nominated duo Gnarls Barkley have launched a poetry contest on its Web site, with contestants asked to submit a haiku about either--or both--of the aforementioned subjects. The contest was introduced by AB Vidal, the self-proclaimed "CEO of St. Elsewhere." "The winning haiku will be selected by me," he wrote. "I reserve the right to be as arbitrary as I like in my decision-making. Enter as many times as you like. The winner will receive an as-yet undisclosed prize."

LL Cool J to host NAACP awards

50 Cent and LL Cool J at the 2006 VMAs.

LL Cool J has signed on to host the first ever live 38th NAACP Image Awards in March, organizers said this week. The rapper--real name James Todd Smith--has hosted hip-hop awards shows in the past and has previously received an NAACP Image Award. This year, the event will honor three famed individuals, each known for their activism around the world. CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien will receive the President's Award, U2 frontman and activist Bono will receive the NAACP Chairman's Award, while legendary comedian, actor, author, and past Image Award winner Bill Cosby will be inducted into the Image Awards Hall of Fame. "We are pleased and honored to have LL Cool J host our first live telecast," the event's executive producer Vicangelo Bulluck said in a statement. "His humor, intelligence, and incredible talent will make the awards an exciting evening to remember." The 38th Annual NAACP Image Awards will air live on Friday, March 2, at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Phil Spector wins settlement

Phil Spector in court in 2005.

Although his pending murder trial still hangs over him, Phil Spector received some good news this week. The acclaimed rock producer is set to receive $900,000 in a settlement following claims that a former assistant embezzled the money from him. Michelle Blaine was accused of taking $425,000 from Spector's pension fund and failing to repay him $635,000 he loaned her to purchase a house. Blaine reportedly claimed the house money was a gift, and that the pension funds were to be used as funds for a movie being made to improve Spector's public image. Blaine had filed a countersuit, claiming she was sexually harassed by the legendary producer and was unfairly dismissed when she refused to keep quiet about information relating to the death of actress Lana Clarkson, who was found shot dead at Spector's home in 2003. Blaine dropped the countersuit as part of the settlement. Spector, free on $1 million bail, is set to go on trial in late March.

DMX: Lacking motor skills

DMX

DMX is currently breaking new ground in the field of moving violations. The Yonkers, New York-based rapper was arrested yet again last Friday for a driving-related infraction. News 12 Westchester reported that police pulled over DMX's SUV on Yonkers Avenue after he ran a red light and found him to be driving with a suspended license. He is due in court on February 14 to answer to this latest charge. In January, X promised a White Plains, New York, judge that he would be present in court on March 6 for a pretrial hearing related to another driving related arrest. After missing two court dates for that case in 2006, he was held overnight at the Westchester County Jail before posting $25,000 bail. The rapper spent 70 days in jail last year after he plowed his SUV through a security gate at JFK airport and attempted to explain his way out of that mess by claiming to be a federal agent.

OK Go plots new video treatment

Ok Go's treadmill routine at the 2006 VMAs.

The kings of the viral music video are at it again. Indie rockers OK Go, who have landed two of the most popular music videos in recent years with their dance-routine-centric "A Million Ways" and the treadmill bonanza of "Here It Goes Again," have revealed their plans for their latest video. The original treadmill clip for "Here It Goes Again" has been viewed more than 10 million times. At the Music 2.0 conference last week, Capitol Music Group exec Ted Mico said OK Go has made more money on their videos than on track sales. For the video for the single "Do What You Want," the band is clad in garb that matches their trademark wallpaper behind them. "It's the most basic setup you can get," OK Go member Damian Kulash told NME.com. "One camera shot, one room, one background, no tricks--it's about achieving as much diversity as you can within that one shot."