This Obscure Headphone Brand Is Owned By Rapper 50 Cent

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Rapper-founded headphone and speaker brands are far beyond a novel concept. Beats by Dre was doctored up by, as the name suggests, "The Next Episode" artist Dr. Dre (alongside music executive Jimmy Iovine), while Raycon, a frequent YouTube sponsor that made our list of the many cheap headphone brands ranked from worst to best, was conceived by "One Wish" singer Ray J. However, not all artist-owned audio device brands are immediate household names, to the point where even a rapper's biggest fans might be shocked to realize their favorite musician dabbled in the tech market. Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson is among the roster of musicians who've danced their way into the technology side of the audio industry.

While some audiences might have been more surprised to watch 50 Cent duke it out as Balrog with Noah Centineo's Ken Masters in the 2026 "Street Fighter" film, the "In Da Club" artist veered even further out of his lane with his own audio tech brand, SMS Audio. SMS was founded in 2011 and suspended operations in 2016, though its products are still sold under the wider umbrella of G-Unit Brands. This is the same company behind the G-Unit clothing line 50 Cent launched in 2003 alongside Ecko Unltd. founder Marc Ecko. At the time of writing, G-Unit Brands' storefront is entirely online. Throughout its run, SMS has had major collaborations with brands and personalities like Reebok, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Carmelo Anthony, and more.

Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson's SMS peddles a limited selection of budget headphones, earbuds, and other audio accessories at the time of writing. Adults have the choice between three different earbud styles ranging from $53.95 to $89.95. SMS' only adult headphone option is a customizable Street by 50-branded wired model which customers can personalize to represent their respective countries — if you happen to live in one of the eight available countries.

SMS also sells child-friendly KidzSafe earbuds, headphones, and a portable speaker which fall within a $20 to $30 price range. It also offers additional accessories like earbud tip replacements, audio cables, and wireless audio transmitters. The brand's most expensive offering is a 50 Cent-autographed headphone stand with a picture insert featuring the rapper, which costs $99.

Celebrity endorsements aren't always indicative of a product's quality. Soulja Boy could tell you his self-named SouljaGame video game consoles were nothing more than cheap rebrands of knockoff emulator systems, for example. 50 Cent's products seemingly fall somewhere in the middle, having been recognized for their design, but not their audio quality. "Their value is in the style and design, and not in the audio," one Reddit user wrote. "They are not headphones for audiophiles and never were." If you're looking for a pair of headphones or earbuds that at least look nice, SMS devices could be the tech for you. Otherwise, it seems they don't hold up as well as other celebrity-owned products, or the few major headphone brands ranked worst to best by customer satisfaction.