Curtis Jackson, more commonly known by his stage name, 50 Cent, is a rapper, writer, actor, entrepreneur, and film producer. In this extended version of his March-issue interview, George Wayne chats him up about self-invention, getting shot, and his upcoming album, Street King Immortal.

GEORGE WAYNE: Let’s start with the obvious, Curtis James Jackson III. How did your iconic moniker—“50 Cent”—come to be?

50 CENT: There was actually a guy from the Fort Greene projects [in Brooklyn, New York] who called himself 50 Cent. I used it as a metaphor for change. Musically, I had my own way of doing things.

G.W.: You haven’t had a new album in a while. In fact, it was fair to wonder if 50 Cent was ever going to release another record.

50 CENT: It wasn’t my choice to wait; there was finance stuff that gave me writer’s block. Then it came together. Everything is fine now. It kind of helped, though. It gave me a chance to take a step back and enjoy it from fans’ perspective. Because when you’re in it, you’re in it. Music is just my idea, and it’s finished before I can spend a lot of time writing it. When I write a song it takes 30 minutes, 40 minutes.

G.W.: Well, you have been chanting and tweeting up a storm that your new album is the best album you’ve made since your first one. Do you truly believe that?

50 CENT: I do. I think it has the right energy.

G.W.: Do you think it will push 600,000 units in the first week?

50 CENT: I would be happy with 400,000 units, around that area.

G.W.: I was just strolling down these city streets to meet you like John Travolta and listening to the first single from Street King Immortal, called “New Day.” It is, yes, another classic New York City anthem. Your collaborator Alicia Keys has a knack for creating major street anthems that resonate, and your “New Day” is one of them.

50 CENT: She is amazing. Dr. Dre produced the record and he sent it to Alicia, who re-wrote the chorus and renamed it “New Day.” It just went perfectly with the perspective I was writing from. And all that was because I had all this time to take a step back . . .

G.W.: And sort of embrace and soak up all the pop culture around you.

50 CENT: Exactly. It’s all about timing, and Alicia does have a version of the record . . .

G.W.: Which was leaked by her husband, Swiss Beatz. Which begs to wonder . . . Do you think Swiss Beatz did that to diss you? Was it payback, because you decided to launch your own product line of Über-headphones (which Swiss Beatz and Dr. Dre were doing long before you)?

50 CENT: When he “sneaked” released the single, it didn’t piss me off. I was thinking it was more of him thinking, “Wow, this record is a hit and I can’t keep it to myself.”

G.W.: When you think about it, 50 Cent has only been famous for 10 years! To become an entertainment icon in the space of 10 years is rather incredible.

50 CENT: I have been through an amazing experience these past 10 years. And lots of changes. There are still a lot of downsides. I was surrounded by too many people who felt that they had a strong sense of entitlement. That I owed them something.