(AllHipHop News) Rap star Nas has teamed with ESPN’s primetime newsmagazine E: 60 to present the story of the Liberian Amputee Soccer Team. The documentary centers around the team of amputees as they prepare to compete in the African Cup of Nations Soccer Tournament. All of the team players are victims of Liberia’s 14-year civil war, which saw over 250,000 people killed and left millions wounded. “I realized my realities were like a walk in the park compared to what these kids go through in these other countries,” Nas said. The soccer team was formed in 2007 to help close the gap between men who previously fought each other during the country’s violent civil war. Shortly after the first team was formed a league of six teams sprouted in Monrovia. In 2008, the Liberian National Amputee soccer team were the champions of Africa. In addition to narrating the documentary, Nas’ music will be featured in the special, which airs May 4th at 7:00 PM EST. Nas is preparing to release his upcoming concept album with Damian Marley titled Distant Relatives. The album, which is due in stores May 18th,  traces Hip-Hop’s origins from Africa to the present.

(AllHipHop News) Rap star Ice Cube has signed on to play a police officer in the upcoming movie Rampart, which will focus on the notorious unit within the Los Angeles Police Department. The flick is being written by screenwriter James Ellory, will feature Ice Cube starring as a homicide detective investigating the dirty actions of a police officer played by actor Woody Harrelson. The movie focuses on the sweeping CRASH (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums) anti-gang program of the early 1990’s that left many African-American males brutalized at the hands of police officers. Harrelson wills tar as a lead police officer who is being investigated for the beating and murder of a gang member during an interrogation. “The Rampart scandal, (was) a stick of dynamite with a wet fuse. Rampart is another of these misperceived criminal conspiracies. It’s really the story of a handful of rogue, criminal cops who ratted out a wider number of untainted cops to save their own skins,” Ellroy told National Review Online in 2005. “And the entire event blew out of proportion into a media event that most people took to represent large-scale endemic corruption in the LAPD. In reality it wasn’t that. Cops are afraid to do their jobs now. There are nuisance suits filed routinely on officers who bruise the pinkies of violent street suspects, and they all have to be dealt with through the civilian complaint process. This wastes time and diverts energy from the real business of police work.”Two Rampart officers, David Mack and Rafael Perez, were implicated in the murder of Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace, although the pair was never charged with any crimes and have repeatedly denied involvement in the slaying. Rampart re-teams Harrelson and actor Ben Foster with Oren Moverman, who directed the pair in the flick The Messenger. Rampart is slated to begin filming in Los Angeles this August.

Sha Money XL, nee Michael Clervoix III, has been appointed the role of senior VP of A&R at Def Jam Records.

The executive expressed his excitement at being a part of the changes at Def Jam, an iconic label founded by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin.

“It’s a true blessing to be part of this amazing team of professionals with a roster of the dopest artist in the industry,” Sha Money told AllHipHop.com exclusively.

“I have a complete focus to elevate the industry and feed the future with new artists and producers. Bring some true excitement back.”

Furthermore, Sha Money, who used to be president of G-Unit Records, said that Def Jam chairman L.A. Reid has faith in him to deliver.

“L.A. Reid believed in my capabilities to make and identify hits and Brand Def Jam for what we know it as,” he continued.

The Queens native said that his career began early at Def Jam under another legendary Hip-Hop figure.

“I started here as an Intern in ‘97 under Jam master Jay and Julie Greenwald (now an executive a Warner Music) and now back here with an complete experienced mind set to continue to give the people what they want…great music.”

With genuine excitement, Sha Money expressed that he wanted to continue the legacy of Def Jam, especially its history in the roots of Hip-Hop.

“Def Jam is the illest rap label that was ever built,” he extolled, referencing some of the epic marketing pushes of the 90’s. “It’s back to ‘Survival of the Illest.’ The gladiator story will live on. The people’s choice the streets choice. the Hip-Hop heads choice will win.”