Shifty Shellshock, the co-leader of the Los Angeles rap-rock band Crazy Town, has died. Variety reports that the singer, whose real name was Seth Brooks Binzer, was found in his Los Angeles home earlier this week. Shifty was 49 years old.
Binzer was born to Rollin Binzer, a director who helmed the 1974 concert film Ladies and Gentlemen: the Rolling Stones, and former model Leslie Brooks. He met his eventual Crazy Town co-founder and co-vocalist, Bret Hadley “Epic” Mazur, at a recording session for will.i.am’s early group Atbann Klann in 1992. Together, the pair formed a rap group called Brimstone Sluggers before expanding their lineup and changing their name to Crazy Town in 1999. The band signed to Columbia and released its debut album, The Gift of Game, in November 1999. The record featured the song ‘Butterfly’, which was built on a Red Hot Chili Peppers and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Crazy Town’s second album, Darkhorse, arrived in 2002, but the band disbanded after it failed to reach the same commercial success. Shellshock went on to pursue a solo career, collaborating with Paul Oakenfold on his 2002 hit ‘Starry Eyed Surprise’. In 2004, Shellshock released his first solo album, Happy Love Sick. Crazy Town reformed in 2007 and released one more album, The Brimstone Sluggers, in 2015.
Shifty Shellshock was open about his struggles with substance abuse, appearing on reality shows such as Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew and Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House. Last year, he made headlines after getting into an altercation with bandmate Bobby Reeves, and Crazy Town were subsequently kicked off the Nu Metal Madness 2 Tour.
Shellshock is survived by his three children, Halo, Gage and Phoenix.
