You couldn’t attend a social gathering in the late-2000s without hearing at least a couple of hit tracks by LMFAO. The “Party Rock Anthem” electronic dance duo were all-the-rave for many years before seemingly dropping off the map in early 2010s.
This has led many people to wonder “What happened to LMFAO?”. After all, music groups don’t just spontaneously disappear. So today we will be looking at the rise and fall of the “Sexy and I Know It” duo, as well as where they are today.
Who Were LMFAO?
LMFAO were an electronic dance music duo from Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California. The group consisted of Stephen Kendal Gordy (stage name: Redfoo) and Skyler Austen Gordy (stage name: SkyBlu). The pair are actually related, with Redfoo being SkyBlu’s uncle. Both are also related to Berry Gordy, who founded the American record label “Motown Records”.
Early Fame
So where did the LMFAO story start?
The group’s roots can be traced back to 2006 when they first began performing at electro-house clubs in Los Angeles. Such clubs were known for hosting big-name artists such as Adam Goldstein and Steve Aoki.
The pair’s dedication towards giving high-energy performances helped them stand out from the other artists in the mid-2000s electronic dance scene. Coupled with extensive radio play, the group began generating buzz in The Golden State. The group originally planned on calling themselves “Sexy Dudes”, however they later settled on “LMFAO” after sharing the name with SkyBlu’s grandmother.
LMFAO signed with Interscope records after will.i.am, a friend of Redfoo’s, introduced them to Jimmy Lovine, who was head of the label. The label’s management were surprised to hear the band’s early demos, stating that their tracks sounded like finished records.
The group recorded and released their first EP “Party Rock EP” in July 2008. Despite the EP name containing the term “Party Rock”, it did not contain their mega-hit Party Rock Anthem. LMFAO later released a full album version of the EP titled “Party Rock” in July 2009.
Party Rock was an instant hit. It peaked at #2 on the US Top Dance/Electronic Albums and #33 on the US Billboard 200. Four singles were released from the album. “I’m in Miami Bitch” was released in August 2008, “La La La” was released in September 2008, “Shots” was released in October 2009, and the last single “Yes” was released in December 2009.
LMFAO’s initial success turned into a winning streak after the duo were featured in the David Guetta track “Gettin’ Over You” in 2010. They then went on to release their most-famous hit “Party Rock Anthem”in March 2011. The track featured artists Goonrock and Lauren Bennet. Its music video has received over 2 billion views on Youtube to date.
Career Peak
LMFAO then recorded and released their second full-length album “Sorry for the Party Rocking” in June 2011. “Party Rock Anthem” was the first single off this release. The next two singles were “Champagne Showers”, released in May 2011, and “Sexy and I Know It”, released in October 2011.
2011 was certainly a big year for the duo. They embarked on their first Asian tour, visiting cities such as Taipei, Manila, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. They also performed at the MTV music festival “Isle of MTV” in Floriana, Malta, alongside Snoop Dogg and Far East Movement later in the year. The group also created their Party Rock clothing line around this time.
LMFAO supported singer Kesha during her Get Sleazy tour in late 2011. They also filmed and released the music video for “Sexy and I Know It” during this period. The track and video went on to become the group’s second-biggest hit after Party Rock Anthem.
Later Career and Hiatus
LMFAO’s last high-profile performance occurred in February 2012. The group performed alongside Madonna at the 2011 Super Bowl. The performance featured a mash-up of the Madonna track “Music” with “Party Rock Anthem” and “Sexy and I Know It”.
In 2012, Redfoo was sued by his previous management company for $7 million. The company, Rpm Grp, claimed that the artist had breached his contract by approaching other Rpm Grp employees for new management.
LMFAO announced that they were going on hiatus in September 2012. They released a statement in which Redfoo expressed that the band had been creating music and performing for a long time and that he and SkyBlu wouldn’t be performing together in the near future.
After the statement’s release, MTV approached the band seeking more information. They got in touch with SkyBlu, who said “Well, you know, first of all, we’re not breaking up. I know that for sure. We’re family and stuff, so it’s always love … It’s interesting because somebody will say one thing [and] it’s just like high school, then all of a sudden [it’s] ‘They’re breaking up. They’re fighting.'”
SkyBlu also revealed that he and Redfoo wanted to be seen as individual artists and that the group would come back “stronger than ever” after the hiatus.
What the LMFAO Members are Doing Today
Both SkyBlu and Redfoo have pursued solo activities since the hiatus. Redfoo has talked about his dream of becoming a professional tennis player in his youth and that he got into music only after sustaining an injury that left him unable to play. The artist has expressed interest in picking up the racket once again since the group’s hiatus.
Redfoo has also been active in his personal life. He began dating chef Jasmine Alkouri and adopted a vegan lifestyle with her. The pair release videos together on Redfoo’s Youtube channel. The artist still occasionally dabbles in music and released the singles “Everything I Need” with Vinai, and “Brand New Day” in 2018.
Redfoo has also dabbled in non-music ventures such as video game coding. However, this has yet to generate as much buzz as his music releases.
SkyBlu is still heavily involved with the music world and adopted the new stage name “8ky 6blu” before releasing his solo album “Chaos to Consciousness” in 2016.
How is RedFoo and SkyBlu Relationship?
RedFoo and SkyBlu’s relationship has been rocky since the hiatus. People were unaware of the reasons behind the split until SkyBlu released a full statement on Instagram.
The statement read, “I’ve been wanting to speak my truth about this whole LMFAO situation for a looooooooong time,” he began. “Out of respect to our family I kept it all to myself. I woke up this morning excited to plan the release of my album that has been 2 years in the making, but then I get a call from my lawyer telling me you say you own all my LMFAO royalties. The way you belittle people and your crazy power trips was some of the main reasons our relationship as family and partnership has greatly suffered.”
The artist also mentioned that he had sustained an injury in 2012, and that RedFoo continued playing shows without checking up on him. “As someone who really cared, loved, and had your back this really hurt…..I mean…your my uncle!! My blood!!! You even kept touring as LMFAO and made a lot of money doing it. You never once called me to ask me how I was recovering, you just kept shuffling everyday without me. I really loved you, I looked up to you man, but the more successful we got, the more you wanted control.” We hope one day they can finally reunite!
Will LMFAO Get Back Together?
SkyBlu’s Instagram statement leaves many LMFAO fans optimistic about the possibility of the group getting back together. However, the group hasn’t shown any signs of reuniting since SkyBlu’s 2016 statement. Millions of fans across the globe still bump Party Rock Anthem and Sexy and I Know It to this day in remembrance of the iconic duo.