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Redfoo

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Stefan Kendal Gordy (born September 3, 1975), better known by his stage name Redfoo, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and DJ. He was one-half of the EDM-hip house duo LMFAO, which he formed with his half-nephew Sky Blu in 2006. The duo became best known for their 2011 singles "Party Rock Anthem" (featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock) and "Sexy and I Know It," both of which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100. They signed with will.i.am Music Group, an imprint of Interscope Records to release two studio albums—Party Rock (2009) and Sorry for Party Rocking (2011)—until their disbandment in 2012. Redfoo released his debut solo album, Party Rock Mansion, in 2016.

Redfoo
Redfoo in 2014
Born
Stefan Kendal Gordy[1]

(1975-09-03) September 3, 1975 (age 49)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • dancer
  • record producer
  • DJ
Years active1993–present
Children1
FatherBerry Gordy
Relatives
FamilyGordy
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
  • keytar
Labels
Formerly ofLMFAO
Websiteredfoo.com

Early life

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Gordy was born in Los Angeles, California, to Berry Gordy, the founder of the Motown record label,[6] and writer-producer Nancy Leiviska. His maternal grandfather was Finnish.[7] His half-brother is recording artist Rockwell.[8] He attended junior high school with will.i.am and GoonRock.[9] Gordy graduated from Palisades Charter High School in Pacific Palisades in 1993.[10] Redfoo is a former day trader and has been featured on business television CNBC's Mad Money with Jim Cramer.[11] Through his father, Gordy is a second cousin once removed of President Jimmy Carter.

Career

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1994–2005: Balance Beam

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In 1994, Redfoo scored his first major production credit for the song "Back in the Day" by Los Angeles rapper Ahmad and co-produced seven other tracks on Ahmad's self-titled debut album.[12] In 1996, he signed with Bubonic Records, and he worked in collaboration with the rapper Dre' Kroon for an album together.[13] The album, Balance Beam, was released on October 10, 1997.[14] Redfoo and Kroon released two singles: "Life Is a Game Of Chess"[15] and "The Freshest".[16] In 1999, he collaborated on "Duet" with The Black Eyed Peas, from their album Behind the Front.[17] He also produced Focused Daily for Defari.[18] In 2004, Figgkidd released "I Gotta Know" as single which featured vocals from Redfoo and Tech N9ne.[19] The song peaked at number 50 in Australia.[20]

2006–12: Breakthrough with LMFAO

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Redfoo during the LMFAO's Sorry for Party Rocking Tour, in 2011

He formed the electro-pop band LMFAO with his nephew Sky Blu in 2006. The duo started building a local buzz through their shows and radio play.[21] Once they had recorded some demos, Redfoo's friend will.i.am introduced them to Interscope head Jimmy Iovine, who gave the green light for them to be signed to Interscope/will.i.am Music.[21] LMFAO released the debut album, Party Rock on July 7, 2009. The duo then recorded their second album, Sorry for Party Rocking, late in 2010 and released it on June 17, 2011, in the U.S. The first single taken from the album, "Party Rock Anthem", was released on January 1, 2011. The song is so far the most successful of their career, peaking at number one in the United States,[22] Canada, the UK and over ten other countries, as well as being in the top ten in many others. The third single, "Sexy and I Know It", was released on October 3, 2011, and reached number one on the iTunes charts worldwide and number one on the Australian and Canadian Hot 100.

Also in 2011, LMFAO embarked on the world tour Sorry for Party Rocking Tour.[23] On February 5, 2012, the group appeared with Madonna at the Super Bowl XLVI during the Bridgestone Halftime Show. Also in 2012, Redfoo was sued by a previous management company for $7 million, claiming breach of contract.[24] On September 21, 2012, the duo released a statement announcing their hiatus. Redfoo said, "I feel like we've been doing this for so long, five or six years", and that he and Sky Blu would not be performing together anytime soon as they would be taking their careers in different directions.[25]

2012–15: Television and solo releases

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Redfoo performing in 2012

In December 2012, Redfoo released his first solo single "Bring Out the Bottles" and appeared in the film Last Vegas. On April 21, 2013, Redfoo was confirmed as Guy Sebastian's replacement for the fifth season of the Australian version of The X Factor, a singing talent television show, joining Ronan Keating, Natalie Bassingthwaighte and fellow debuting judge Dannii Minogue, who replaced Mel B. Because of commitments to The X Factor, he relocated to Sydney, Australia in 2013. In September, Redfoo released a new hit single titled "Let's Get Ridiculous", which he premiered on The X Factor Australia, performing live during the third live show. The single debuted at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified four times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association.[26] On October 19, 2013, Redfoo released the pilot episode of his new comedy web series, Behind the Speedo.[27] A second episode was released on March 25, 2014.[28] In 2014, Redfoo returned for the sixth season of The X Factor Australia. In June 2014, he released a new single titled "Where The Baes At" with Eric D-lux and Rio. In August 2014, Redfoo released a new single titled "New Thang"[29] and peaked at number three in Australia.[30]

The promotional single "Like Ya Just Don't Care" was released on September 2, 2014.[31] The single is part of his solo debut album, Party Rock Mansion, but under the title "Keep Shining", the first track on the album. In October 2014, Redfoo was featured on Play-N-Skillz song and video "Literally I Can't" along with Lil Jon and Enertia McFly. The song attracted widespread criticism for being misogynistic.[32] On February 24, 2015, Redfoo was announced as one of the celebrities who will compete on the 20th season of Dancing with the Stars. He was partnered with professional dancer Emma Slater.[33] He had been a guest judge on the 18th season of the show, and is the first guest judge ever to return as a contestant. He and Slater were the first couple eliminated from the competition on March 23, 2015.[34] On May 1, 2015, Redfoo announced that he would not be returning for the seventh season of The X Factor Australia.[35]

2016–present: Party Rock Mansion

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Redfoo announced his second album, Party Rock Mansion, near the end of December 2015. He released a promotional single, "Lights Out", on January 15, 2016. The album was released on March 18, 2016, receiving mixed reviews from music critics, as well as being a commercial failure, with only 144 copies sold throughout Australia in its first week of release.

He has since released the singles "Brand New Day" and "Sock It to Ya" in 2017, and "Everything I Need" in 2018.

In 2020, his previously released single "New Thang" went viral on TikTok, being used in many videos and gaining newfound traction.[citation needed]

In 2023, after being retired for six years, Redfoo came back with his new track "Long Live Party Rock", a collaboration with Dainjazone, which was released on his official YouTube channel on April 20.

Personal life

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Redfoo began dating former number one[36] ranked tennis player Victoria Azarenka in 2012, but the couple split in 2014. He attended the 2012 US Open, 2013 Australian Open, 2013 Wimbledon Championships and 2014 Australian Open as a member of Azarenka's player box.[37] As a tennis player, he attempted to qualify for the 2013 US Open as a wild-card entry. He entered the USTA Northern California Sectional qualifying tournament in June and was knocked out 6–1, 6–2 in his first match.[38] Since 2018, he has been dating Jasmine Alkouri, a chef and road manager. She gave birth to their first child on April 19, 2023, a daughter they named Ily Oak.

Redfoo, through his line of Party Rock clothing, sponsored the Red Rock Pro Open, an ITF Women's Circuit tournament held in Las Vegas, from 2012 to 2013. Tyler Weeks, a tennis pro at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, mentioned to Redfoo that his tournament needed a new sponsor after giving him a lesson, and he agreed for Party Rock clothing to be the new sponsor. The event is usually held at the end of September.[39][40]

Redfoo started coding in 2017 and has since hosted a three-day hackathon at his home.[41]

Discography

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Main article: Redfoo discography
For the discography with his band, see LMFAO discography.
Studio albums

Filmography

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Films
Year Title Role
2006 Very Heavy Love Chris Williams
Potheads: The Movie Loco
2013 Last Vegas Himself
2015 Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip[42] Himself
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2013–14 The X Factor Australia Himself / Judge / Mentor Season 5–6
2014 The X Factor Himself / Judge / Mentor "Live Show 5" (Season 11, Episode 23)
Dancing with the Stars Himself / Judge / Performer Season 18, Episode 6
2015 Dancing with the Stars Himself / Contestant Season 20
Web
Year Title Role Notes
2015–present Say It In Song[43] Presenter Web-show
2016 Good Mythical Morning Participant Episode #879

References

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  1. ^ "Stephen K Gordy, Born 09/03/1975 in California". California Birth Index. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  2. ^ "LMFAO: Sorry for Party Rocking – review". TheGuardian.com. July 14, 2011.
  3. ^ "LMFAO Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  4. ^ "What Happened to LMFAO? The Iconic Duo Behind "Party Rock Anthem"". September 14, 2021.
  5. ^ "Redfoo Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  6. ^ "Pop Music Listings for June 22–29". The New York Times. June 21, 2012. Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  7. ^ Jenkkistaralla suomalainen pappa Archived September 1, 2016, at the Wayback Machine (in Finnish) Yle
  8. ^ "Spectacular Isle of MTV on the Granaries". Timesofmalta.com. June 30, 2011. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  9. ^ Jones, Steve (January 28, 2010). "Grammy-nominated LMFAO is having the last laugh". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 29, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  10. ^ "LMFAO: Looking at the Dance-Party Gurus' Rise to Music Dominance!". Snakkle.com. Pontiac Digital Media. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  11. ^ LMFAO's Redfoo Tops Music and Stock Charts CNBC. August 19, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  12. ^ Murphy, Nick (June 4, 2015). "He's Still Here, Bitch: The Bizarre Life of LMFAO's Redfoo". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 7, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  13. ^ "Red Foo & Dre Kroon – Balance Beam". Discogs. May 30, 2011. Archived from the original on June 24, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  14. ^ "Red Foo & Dre Kroon – Balance Beam". Allmusic. May 30, 2011. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  15. ^ "Red Foo & Dre Kroon – Life Is A Game Of Chess". Discogs. May 30, 2011. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  16. ^ "Red Foo & Dre Kroon – The Freshest". Discogs. May 30, 2011. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  17. ^ "iTunes – Music – Behind the Front by The Black Eyed Peas". Itunes.apple.com. June 29, 1998. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
  18. ^ "Focused Daily – Defari". Allmusic. June 29, 1998. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
  19. ^ "Figgkidd featuring Red Foo – I Gotta Know". Discogs. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  20. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Discography Redfoo". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  21. ^ a b "Interview with Neil Jacobson (part 1)". HitQuarters. June 18, 2012. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
  22. ^ Trust, Gary (July 6, 2011). "LMFAO Brings the 'Party' to Top of Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  23. ^ "LMFAO Live in Malaysia, Philippines & Singapore". mistazam.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  24. ^ TMZ Staff, "LMFAO The $7 Million SURPRISE at American Idol", tmz.com, April 20, 2012
  25. ^ "LMFAO's Redfoo, SkyBlu Split". B96 Chicago. September 21, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  26. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  27. ^ Redfoo (October 19, 2013). "Behind The Speedo – Episode 1 (Pilot)". Youtube. Archived from the original on April 10, 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  28. ^ Redfoo (March 30, 2014). "Behind The Speedo – Episode 2". Youtube. Archived from the original on April 10, 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  29. ^ "Paloma Faith and Redfoo – Top 10 Live Decider Special Guests". Yahoo!7. September 1, 2014. Archived from the original on September 8, 2014. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  30. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Discography Redfoo". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  31. ^ "iTunes – Music – Like Ya Just Don't Care – Single by Redfoo". iTunes. September 2, 2014. Archived from the original on January 6, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  32. ^ "Redfoo And Lil Jon Have Released The Worst Song Of The Year, Literally". Pedestrian.TV. November 10, 2014. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  33. ^ "'Dancing With the Stars' 2015: Season 20 Celebrity Cast Announced". ABC News. Archived from the original on February 12, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  34. ^ "Dancing with the Stars 2015 Results Tonight March 23: DWTS Eliminates Redfoo". lalate news – America's Fastest Growing Celebrity News Site!. March 23, 2015. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  35. ^ "The X Factor 2015: Redfoo will not return to The X Factor as a judge". The Daily Telegraph. May 1, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
  36. ^ "Rankings". WTA Tennis English. Archived from the original on June 5, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  37. ^ "Victoria Azarenka's boyfriend is Redfoo of LMFAO". January 24, 2013. Archived from the original on March 31, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  38. ^ "Stefan 'Redfoo' Gordy to make bid to play in U.S. Open". ESPN. March 15, 2013. Archived from the original on October 27, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  39. ^ "Musician Redfoo Backs USTA Pro Circuit's Party Rock Open". Tennis East Coast. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  40. ^ "LMFAO's Redfoo: Party rocking on the court". US Open. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  41. ^ "LMFAO's Redfoo Partners with Radix to Support Aspiring Coders — 'If I Can do It, Anyone Can do It'". July 14, 2022.
  42. ^ "Redfoo Juicy Orange Studded Flat Top Glasses from Alvin". The Take. February 11, 2015. Archived from the original on July 5, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  43. ^ "Say It In Song". MTV. February 11, 2015. Archived from the original on August 8, 2015. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
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