50 Cent: SMS Audio benefits from Beats/Apple

NEW YORK -- 50 Cent thinks the recent blockbuster deal between Beats by Dre and Apple only helps his headphone company.

"The success of Beats is great for us. It makes the category understand how valuable our association is to that company," he said. "When they see the company, and see that it sold for $3.1 billion, they go: 'That one is definitely next, that's the one that has the cool factor connected to it while producing quality products.'

"If there's another company that does it, it'll be SMS," he said. "So it's like when you're playing basketball in the park: We got next."

Beats Electronics, the leader in the headphone market and a music streaming company, was acquired by Apple last month. SMS Audio has been around since 2011.

On Wednesday night, 50 Cent was joined by the company's new pitchman, New York Knicks basketball star Carmelo Anthony, at a penthouse hotel party as SMS introduced its new line of sports headphones in both wired and wireless editions.

Anthony said he was interested in being more than a spokesman, saying he already "did the endorsement thing."

"You're seeing everyone make so much money off of me. I want to start making money off of myself," he said. "That was one reason I sought out the opportunity."

While he talked freely about his work with SMS, he laughingly brushed off questions about his basketball future. Anthony is considered one of the top prizes in the offseason free agency market if he opts to test it.