AFI’s Davey Havok Reveals The Bizarre Label Pitches That Almost Changed Decemberunderground

Long before Decemberunderground became one of AFI’s biggest records, frontman Davey Havok says the band found themselves fielding some truly baffling ideas from their record label, including a proposed collaboration with 50 Cent and even the concept of a “ringtone album.”

Speaking to Metal Hammer, Havok reflected on AFI‘s turbulent experience making their 2006 breakthrough album, describing it as one of the toughest periods in AFI’s career.

Following the band’s move from DreamWorks Records to Interscope after the label merger, Havok said pressure mounted as executives looked for ways to grab the attention of Interscope co-founder Jimmy Iovine (per NME):

“The writing of ‘Decemberunderground’ was a miserable period. 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.”

While Havok made it clear he had no issue with the rap superstar, he couldn’t understand how the pairing was ever supposed to work:

“I have nothing against 50 Cent, but what does that even mean?!”

As strange as that proposal sounded, Havok said an even more unusual pitch arrived during the mid-2000s ringtone boom, when downloadable phone ringtones were becoming a major revenue stream for the music industry:

“Even worse than this was the era when ringtones were the new technology craze. 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?’”

AFI had other ideas

While songs from Decemberunderground were made available as ringtones, the band never created a full album built around the format and never recorded with 50 Cent.

AFI ‘Miss Murder’ video

Released in 2006, Decemberunderground became AFI’s first album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, powered by fan favourites including “Miss Murder” and “Love Like Winter.” Two decades later, it’s remembered as one of the defining alternative rock records of the era and, judging by Havok’s latest revelations, it could have been a very different album had the label got its way.

AFI are currently touring behind their latest album, Silver Bleeds The Black Sun…, with headline shows and festival appearances scheduled throughout 2026.