Shifty Shellshock, co-leader of the Los Angeles rap-rock band Crazy Town, has died at 49. Variety reports that Shifty, born Seth Brooks Binzer, passed away at home in LA yesterday, though no cause of death has been announced.
Seth Binzer grew up immersed in the music industry; his father, Rollin, directed the 1973 concert film “Ladies And Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones” and designed album covers for Chess Records. In his youth, Binzer entered the LA rap scene, adopting the name Shifty Shellshock. He met Crazy Town co-leader Bret “Epic” Mazur during a 1992 recording session for Will.I.Am’s pre-Black Eyed Peas group Atbann Klann.
Initially forming a rap group called the Brimstone Sluggers, Binzer and Mazur didn’t release music until the late ’90s, when they transitioned to rock and renamed themselves Crazy Town. Signing with Columbia, they released their debut album “The Gift Of Game” in 1999 and toured with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Their single “Butterfly,” which sampled the Chili Peppers, became a surprise hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2001. Despite their brief success, Crazy Town’s popularity waned, and their second album, “Darkhorse,” flopped, leading to the band’s breakup.
Shifty Shellshock, known for his distinctive look with muscles, tattoos, and bleached spikes, featured on British DJ Paul Oakenfold’s 2002 hit “Starry Eyed Surprise” and released a solo album, “Happy Love Sick,” in 2004. Crazy Town reunited in 2007, releasing “The Brimstone Sluggers” in 2015. Last year, Shifty and co-leader Bobby Reeves had a violent altercation after a show in Myrtle Beach, leading to their removal from (hed)p.e.’s Nu Metal Madness 2 Tour. However, they reconciled and performed in Michigan this past May.
Shifty Shellshock struggled with substance abuse, appearing on reality shows like “Celebrity Rehab” and “Sober House.” He faced multiple arrests, including for domestic abuse and cocaine possession in 2012 and DUI in 2022. In 2012, he was briefly comatose after losing consciousness but later recovered.
Kurt Deimer Releases Acoustic Version of “In Deep” Featuring Buckcherry’s Josh Todd
Rising rock musician, actor, songwriter, and film producer Kurt Deimer has released the official acoustic version of his current radio single “In Deep” featuring Buckcherry
Tom Morello Says There Is About An Album’s Worth of Unreleased Audioslave Songs
Years after Chris Cornell’s voice was silenced, the idea that there is still unheard music bearing his name feels both like a gift and a
Sonny Sandoval’s Says P.O.D Will Move Into Heavier Direction on Upcoming Album
After more than three decades of redefining heavy music with a boundary-breaking fusion of metal, punk, hip-hop, and reggae, P.O.D. are gearing up for what
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Brings Symphonic Fire to Hamilton’s TD Coliseum
On December 28, 2025, Trans-Siberian Orchestra didn’t just play Hamilton’s newly renovated TD Coliseum—they baptized it in fire, light, and symphonic thunder. Coming just weeks
Filter Announces U.S. Tour Finger Eleven and Local H
FILTER will embark on a U.S. tour with FINGER ELEVEN and LOCAL H starting in March. The three bands are no strangers to each other.
The Most Anticipated Rock Records of 2026
If 2025 was the year rock began to reassert itself in the cultural bloodstream, then 2026 is shaping up to be the year it fully