S. Samuel
G-Unit's 50 Cent continues to stay busy in 2011 by announcing plans to launch his own electronics company called SMS Audio, set to kick-off this fall.
Serving as the company’s CEO, 50 has teamed with electronics company KonoAudio.
50 Cent, under SMS Audio, has immediate plans this fall to launch a complete line of headphones showcased in three product categories — wired headphones, wireless headphones and earbuds. With overall design and quality control, 50 is eager to develop headphone lines that help his fans hear his music the way it’s mastered in the studio. Brian Nohe, founder of KonoAudio, will become the new President of SMS Audio, brings more than 25 years of experience within Fortune 200 companies and entrepreneurial ventures to the table. (Press Release)
The G-Unit leader has also confirmed his latest power move.
“I’m eager for my fans to hear my music the way it was intended – the way it was mastered in the studio,” 50 said in a statement. “The acquisition of KonoAudio will enhance our ability to bring the absolute, highest-caliber audio products to the market.” (Statement)
Last January, 50 publicly unveiled a headphones venture.
Ludacris and 50 Cent, two rappers, actors and entrepreneurs, unveiled their own respective lines of headphones at CES this year. Ludacris showed off a 5-model line branded Soul by Ludacris, and produced by a company called Signeo. And 50 Cent unveiled his own headphones, called Sleek by 50 Cent, which will be made by H&H Imports, a company that last year signed Hulk Hogan on as the sponsor of a line of home cleaning products called PumMax. (Los Angeles Times)
After things turned sour in the spring, 50 and Sleek parted ways.
In actuality, it was G-Unit that terminated a Brand Licensing Agreement that it had entered into with Sleek, which termination automatically triggered the termination of the earlier announced tri-party agreement. However, not long after the termination of the tri-party agreement, TV Goods and 50 Cent, via his affiliate company, SMS Audio, LLC, entered into a Term Sheet for the two parties to continue joint efforts to produce and distribute a direct response television infomercial to globally market a wireless over-the-ear headphone product offered or sold by SMS that is endorsed by and/or and bears the name of “50 Cent.” Sleek is not a party to that Term Sheet. (Yahoo News)
SMS Audio is slated to hit retailers in the fall.
Check out a recent 50 Cent interview down below:
