# A 50 Cent collab and a ringtone album – AFI share terrible advice from record label

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/a-50-cent-collab-and-a-ringtone-album-afi-share-terrible-advice-from-record-label/
- Published: 2026-07-26T16:58:39+00:00
- Original publisher: NME
- Original article: https://www.nme.com/news/music/a-50-cent-collab-and-a-ringtone-album-afi-share-terrible-advice-from-record-label-3959067?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-50-cent-collab-and-a-ringtone-album-afi-share-terrible-advice-from-record-label
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- AFI's Davey Havok recalled terrible commercial suggestions from his record label during 'Decemberunderground' (2006), including a proposed 50 Cent collaboration
- The label also pitched a ringtone album concept; both ideas were rejected, though the album itself achieved commercial and critical success

## Summary

AFI frontman Davey Havok has recounted how label executives pressured the punk band with misguided commercial strategies during the recording of their 2006 album 'Decemberunderground'. When the band's label was absorbed into Interscope under Jimmy Iovine's direction, the A&R department attempted to align the group with the executive's musical interests at the time, leading to a series of ill-fated suggestions.

Among the proposals were a collaboration with hip-hop artist 50 Cent and an experimental venture into mobile phone ringtone production designed as a full album project. Ultimately, neither idea materialised, though ringtone versions of some tracks were eventually released. Despite the troubled creative environment, 'Decemberunderground' proved commercially successful, debuting at the top of the US Billboard 200 and spawning the hit singles 'Miss Murder' and 'Love Like Winter'.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.