Skyler McLean has taken a winding path through science, art, and music. During his time studying engineering and producing concerts at Stanford University, he met Sickamore on a car ride to the airport, leading to a research project codenamed "Moneyball for Music" and soon after, the Astroworld camp in Hawaii. Post graduation, he worked at early stage companies in the robotics and restaurant industries before turning his art practice into a full time endeavor. He took a one way flight to put on an art show in New York and ended up staying, where he reunited with Sick to begin building IIIXL.