Patiently Waiting
F
or years, the Hollywood, California duo now known as LMFAO would kick it at The Coffee Bean on Sunset and Fairfax, where a then unknown Perez Hilton would blog from his office, the corner table. “Perez and I didn’t have too much to talk about, because I’m obviously a straight man, but we were actually friends,” says Redfoo. “We even watched them film the pilot to his reality show. They filmed it on our street,” adds Sky Blu. And though Sky and Foo may not share the same sexual preference as Perez, the experimental DJs-turned-emcees definitely fit in amongst a similar crowd - a coffee shop convergence of loud and colorful people whose style summarizes the current Southern California scene. LMFAO describes their music and style simply as fun, stating, “We put the F.U. in FUN, and if you don’t like it, F.U.’N ya mama.” Redfoo is actually Sky Blu’s biological uncle, but the two are only a few years apart. They began making music together 4 years ago in various nightclubs throughout LA and quickly earned a reputation as raucous DJs, recognized for their energy and ability to effectively mix electro, pop, and Hip Hop genres. Eventually, the pair began to produce their own tracks, and adopted the name LMFAO (“Laughin’ My Fuckin’ Ass Off” in internet terminology, for the few who don’t already know). “Our name was originally gonna be Sexy Dudes, because that was the name that best suited us,” says Red Foo, completely serious. “Our friends thought the name was kinda lame, but we thought they were just jealous, so Sky jumped on iChat and asked his grandma what she thought of it. She simply replied, “LMFAO, are you seri-
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ous, my nigga?” And that instantly became our name—the entire question: “LMFAO, Are You Serious My Nigga?” But then we went to the swap meet to get shirts made with our group’s new name and the dude said [in a Korean accent] “5 dolla a letta.” So at that moment we cut it down to just ‘LMFAO’ and it was 25 bucks a shirt instead of $120.” And while LMFAO’s sound is completely Hollywood, it wasn’t until the SoCal kids discovered South Florida that the world began to appreciate their music. The DJing duet actually wrote their definitive anthem to Miami nights while planning a trip there in 2007, before ever visiting the city. “We were just imagining how it would be. You know how when you go on vacation, you do research on where you’re going before you actually go? That’s what we did before we went to Miami,” remembers Red Foo. “We asked our friends what Miami was like and they all hyped us up. We were so excited to go that we wrote a song before we had ever even been there.” Sky Blu adds. “We wanted to make a song for tourists to sing and brag to their friends back home like, “What you doin’? I’m in Miami, bitch!’” Within two years Sky and Foo bragged “I’m in Miami, Bitch,” all the way to a contract with Interscope Records and a debut album, Party Rock, which was released earlier this summer. To this day, the group has mixed and mastered every song they’ve ever recorded, including the almost 100 versions of “I’m In Miami, Bitch” that cater to different cities throughout the world. Though the group has yet to convert many of their critics, they have certainly amassed a huge following. And for those who still don’t take them seriously, LMFAO promises to have the last laugh. Words by Eric Perrin