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.
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