Rapper 50 Cent will perform a half-hour show during the Winter X Games at Aspen. The Jan. 30 concert at Buttermilk is part of a sponsorship event, said ESPN representative Vanessa Anthes, appearing before the Pitkin County commissioners Tuesday to seek approval for the change to ESPN's special events permit for the Games. Commissioners quickly gave the performance their OK.

Anthes said ESPN anticipates 1,000 to 1,500 people will show up just to see the 30-minute show, from 1 to 1:30 p.m. Commissioners, though, weren't sure the rap star wouldn't prove a bigger draw than that.

“We're going to put extra people on — at their expense,” said Joe DiSalvo, undersheriff for Pitkin County.Born Curtis James Jackson III, 50 Cent saw his 2003 debut album, “Get Rich or Die Tryin',” debut at No.

1 and the lead single, “In da Club,” broke the Billboard record as the most listened-to song in radio history within a week, according to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. His 2005 release, “The Massacre,” produced another record industry feat. He became the first solo artist to have three singles on the Billboard top five in the same week with “Candy Shop, “Disco Inferno” and “How We Do,” according to Wikipedia.

His latest release is last fall's “Before I Self Destruct.”Winter X Games weekend will also feature a Hi-Fi concert at the base of Aspen Mountain by Ghostland Observatory, an electronica-infused indie band that will perform on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 5:30 p.m.

Winter X Games 14 takes place Jan. 28-31 at Buttermilk. Coming to Snowmass for a free spring concert next month is Donavon Frankenreiter, known for his soulful surfer sound. He will play a Valentine's Day Hi-Fi concert at 6 p.m in Base Village, the Aspen Skiing Co. announced Tuesday.