AFI’s Davey Havok Reveals Terrible Advice From Major Label: 50 Cent Collab and Ringtone Album Suggested

In June 2006, alternative rock band AFI faced unconventional pressures from their record label during the creation of their seventh studio album, Decemberunderground, according to an interview with frontman Davey Havok published by Metal Hammer. Havok revealed that major label executives suggested an improbable collaboration with rapper 50 Cent and floated the concept of producing an entire album designed specifically for mobile phone ringtones.

Navigating Corporate Shifts at Interscope Records

The friction surrounding the production of Decemberunderground stemmed from a major corporate restructuring. AFI initially signed to DreamWorks Records, but the company’s music division was later absorbed by Interscope, placing the band under the umbrella of a label run by industry executive Jimmy Iovine. According to Havok, the writing phase for the record was a difficult period driven by shifting corporate expectations.

“The writing of ‘Decemberunderground’ was a miserable period,” Havok told Metal Hammer. “Our A&R guy was hellbent on trying to get Jimmy Iovine – who had expressly claimed in the press that rock is dead – to pay attention to AFI, and so it was suggested that we collab with Jimmy’s great love at the time, which was 50 Cent.”

Despite the label’s push to merge artistic directions with a dominant hip-hop figure of the era, the band resisted the pitch. “I have nothing against 50 Cent, but what does that even mean?!” Havok added.

The Mobile Technology Pitch: Building a Ringtone Album

As the music industry grappled with the dawn of digital downloads and mobile personalization, label executives proposed another commercial experiment that bypassed traditional album formats. During a cultural peak for mobile phone audio snippets, Havok received a pitch centered entirely around emerging telecommunications technology.

“Even worse than this was the era when ringtones were the new technology craze,” Havok said. “I love this man and I still see him once a month at the least, but this motherfucker says to me, ‘What if you were to be the first band to write a ringtone album?’”

While select tracks from Decemberunderground eventually made their way into the mobile ringtone market, the band declined to construct a full-length release tailored exclusively to short-form audio clips, preserving the conceptual integrity of their traditional studio record.

Commercial Success and Current Touring Schedule

The resistance to label-driven gimmicks ultimately paved the way for a critical and commercial milestone. Released in June 2006, Decemberunderground climbed to the number one spot on the US Billboard 200, marking a career first for the band. The project spawned enduring singles including ‘Miss Murder’ and ‘Love Like Winter’. Contemporary reviews celebrated the release, with NME praising the record’s “crunching call to arms” and describing ‘Miss Murder’ as “sublime”.

Two decades later, AFI continues to tour and record, having released their 12th studio album, Silver Bleeds The Black Sun…, in October last year. The band’s scheduled appearances include joining Deftones, Interpol, and other acts at All Points East’s Outbreak event in London’s Victoria Park on August 23. Following their UK appearances, the band will travel to San Diego in November to perform alongside The Neighbourhood, Converge, Jehnny Beth, and Lip Critic at the 2026 edition of Deftones’ Día De Los Deftones festival.