Curtis James Jackson III, the rapper, television producer and entrepreneur better known as 50 Cent, turned 50 on 6 July. Born in South Jamaica, Queens, in 1975, Jackson rose to international prominence with his 2003 debut album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” released on Eminem’s Shady/Aftermath label and executive-produced by Dr. Dre. The record sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and earned him a Grammy, cementing his reputation as one of the defining artists of early-2000s hip-hop. Jackson adopted the moniker 50 Cent after Kelvin Martin, a Brooklyn robber active in the 1980s, saying the alias represented his willingness to provide for himself “by any means.” Before music success, he survived nine gunshot wounds in a 2000 attack that became part of his public narrative and lyrical themes. The rapper will appear in Italy this week, headlining a 8 July show in Naples’ Piazza del Plebiscito as part of his global tour. Beyond music, Jackson has expanded into film and television production—most notably the “Power” franchise for Starz—and ventures spanning beverages to boxing promotions, helping him build an estimated fortune that outlets such as Forbes have previously put in the hundreds of millions of dollars.