Diddy

Know how long ago it was that Jennifer Lopez dated Diddy? He went by Puff Daddy back then. That was like 16 nicknames ago.

Nevertheless, Diddy hasn't forgotten about his former flame. The rap superstar gets personal on his new album, Press Play, with songs inspired by both girlfriend Kim Porter and J-Lo.

"It's probably my most personal record," Diddy, 35, said. "On a lot of the other records, to be honest, I didn't do a whole lot of writing. On this one, I did a lot. And I exposed myself with everybody's most sensitive subject, and that's the subject of love."

Awww, the supposedly bad boy has a soft side. That's a bit like finding out Kate Bosworth has a fat side.

Anyway, this lovelorn aspect of the performer includes his relationship with Lopez, who he dated for two years before they split in 2001.

"I used every experience," he said. "She was one of my girlfriends, and the most highly publicized one. But I've been blessed to go out with a couple of great women and she was one of the great ones."

Conversely, Nick Carter at least claims he was blessed to go out with (i.e. go to bed with) a couple easy women. But do Diddy and Lopez still talk?

"Yeah. We're ex-boyfriend and girlfriend. And that's cool. It's a positive thing. But my focus right now â€" when I'm with a woman, I'm focused on that woman."

That woman is Kim Porter, with whom he's expecting twin girls.

"The relationship that gave me the most inspiration was the relationship with Kim," Diddy said. "(It's) my most long-term relationship. It's had a lot of ups and downs, and it made for a lot of great songs."

Press Play is due in stores on Oct. 17.

Being a soon-to-be father isn't enough for Diddy. He also wants to sort of own the airwaves.

The rap mogul is teaming up with Burger King to co-brand a channel on YouTube called "Diddy TV." And, yes, we agree: this is the oddest pairing since John Kerry and Lil Kim.

Fans can visit "Diddy TV" beginning October 7 for a personal message from the celebrity, as well exclusive access to music tracks and video clips from Diddy's upcoming album, "Press Play," which hits stores October 17.

BK will also sponsor Diddy's fall 2006 CD tour. Considering this Diddy picture, we expected a somewhat classier company to be involved.

"I'm having it my way on this album, and it's been a great journey for me, so I'm grateful for partners like Burger King Corporation that are helping me bring a fresh sound to my fans," Sean Combs said. "They share my passion for being tastemakers and giving the people what they want."

Wow. Forget the award for sexiest person alive (and congrats, again, Scarlett Johansson); Diddy just won for best corporate shill.

He already knew that twins were on the way, but now Diddy is excited to report that the pair of newborns about to enter his breed will be girls.

"I'm having twin girls," Diddy tells Vibe in its November issue.

But will this news change the rap mogul and high school role model?

"People say, to a so-called ladies' man or whatever, that when you have girls it changes you," continuedDiddy, whose new album, "Press Play," is due Oct. 17. "So I was like, 'What's God trying to tell me by giving me two girls?' When I pray every morning, I thank God for showing me what He showed me while I still have a chance to enjoy myself."

Madonna, of course, was grateful that Diddy recognized her message in all this.

So, now that he and Kim Porter are expecting more children, could Daddy Diddy also turn into Hubby Diddy? Or will Sean Combs follow the lead of Aaron Carter and contiue to go slowly?

I didn't grow up around a married family, so it's taking me a bit longer," the rapper said. "A lot of guys out there get married, and they still do their own thing. I don't want to get married and fail."

Porter is due in December.

"After Tom and Kate, and Brad and Angelina, I had to find a way to top them all," Diddy told People magazine earlier this month. "This is truly a blessing and we're really happy about the news."

Hey, D, at The Gossip, we refer to them at TomKat and Brangelina, ok? Thanks.

When you want a roll model to speak to your students - and the Ghostbusters are busy - who you gonna call?

Diddy.

So figured the principal at Benjamin Franklin High School. He wanted a speaker who would get students' attention and certainly found it in this rap mogul turned soon-to-be-father-of-twins.

"This is a really important time for you all right now," Diddy said. "This is the time that is going to dictate your future."

The 36-year-old founder of Bad Boy Records looked the part in sunglasses and flashy jewelry. He called some students on stage and talked to them one on one about their goals. His advice: work hard and stay in school.

Evidently , Kevin Federline never received either of those memos.

"Take responsibility for your future. No excuses!" Diddy encouraged.

"We wanted someone whom they would sit down and listen to, someone who comes from the same type of background," said Principal Cristopher Johnson. "To have a superstar come in to talk is extremely powerful."

So are the abs on LL Cool J. We're just sayin.

In Englad, drivers use the left side of the road.

Residents refer to water fountains as "bubblers."

And Sean Combs can no longer go by the name Diddy.

It truly is a different world.

At least the mogul can keep his name in The State, but a disgruntled little-known music producer has won a lawsuit over naming rights in Great Britain.

Combs - the father-to-be - agreed to pay more than 100,000 pounds in legal costs and 10,000 pounds in damages to Richard Dearlove as part of a settlement sealed earlier this week at the High Court in London.

Dearlove, who has traded under the Diddy name since 1992, sued Combs after the rapper dropped the P from his moniker, using laws designed to protect commercial interests from unfair competition.

"He changed his name to Diddy. I was gutted," Dearlove told The Guardian newspaper.

"I started getting emails from Puerto Rican girls asking if they could be in my video and people were asking me to look at their clothing line."

Yeah. That's a real bummer, Mr. Dearlove. Give Diddy a break, will ya? The man just wants to be able to change his nickname every now and then in order to remain fresh.

Guess it could be worse, though. This guy could've gone under the name "Gold-Digging Ho Bag." Then what would Brits call Heather Mills?

Not only is Diddy set to become a daddy, fans, he's set to become a daddy twice over.

In a video posted Monday on his MySpace.com page - yes, apparently the rap and producing mogul has a MySpace page - Diddy and fiance Kim Porter are shown standing outdoors as the words "Special Announcement" flash at the bottom of the screen.

"Hey, whassup y'all," Diddy says. "We interrupt your browsing for this emergency announcement."

He goes on to talk about a recent morning when he woke up next to Porter and noticed she looked especially big for her stage in her pregnancy. "I said, 'Baby, I think you'd better go to the doctor, 'cause you're kinda big. You look like you're ready to give birth right now,' " he says.

"So we went to the doctor, and guess what?" he continues. "Your boy Diddy is a champion ... The doctor told me and Kim, and I'm telling you right now, no press announcement, I'm just telling people in my family, that I'm having twins. It is official."

Yes! A pair of celebrity babies are on the way!

"Two more Combs. Two! World, you're in trouble now."

Careful what you wish for, Diddy. The way Maggie Gyllenhaal looks, her and Peter Sarsgaard might have a pair of tykes on the way to take yours on.

They've already got you beat on vowels in a pair of names.

When you're Diddy, sometimes you roll out of the water in a tuxedo with a pair of hot babes.

Other times, you prepare for life as a father.

So it goes for Sean Combs, who is set to have his second child with long-time girlfriend, Kim Porter. The couple already has a son Christian, 9, and Diddy has another son Justin, 12, by Misa Hylton Brimm.

Suspicion of yet another celebrity baby was aroused when Porter abstained from alcohol and went to bed early while vacationing with her man in St-Tropez. The pregnancy rumors got louder when Porter then showed up to the aforementioned ad campaign photo shoot for Combs' Unforgiveable fragrance in Monte Carlo wearing loose tops.

Apparently, Diddy was once voted Hollywood's Sexiest Single Father. But he he may be ready to relinquish the title and join the likes of Brad Pitt and Will Smith as top Hollywood, married father. After all, friends of the couple claim a marriage proposal is also in the works.

Look, we love our jobs. The meager wages, the inane banter about celebrities, the guessing game of what Britney Spears will look like next. We wouldn't trade the gig for anything.

Just for a day, however - heck, maybe even an hour - we'd like to be in Diddy's shoes. Or, in this case, his tuxedo ...