Shifty Shellshock, frontman of Crazy Town, dies at 49

Shifty Shellshock, the co-founder of the notorious Los Angeles rap-rock group Crazy Town, has died at the age of 49.

According to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner, Seth Binzer, the singer known as Shifty Shellshock, died Monday at his residence. Binzer was the frontman and lead singer for the famous late 90s and early 2000s rap-rock band Crazy Town. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed and is currently classified as “deferred.”

Binzer co-founded Crazy Town with Bret Hadley “Epic” Mazur in 1995. They released their debut album in 1999, The Gift of Game. Even though the group was supporting the Red Hot Chili Peppers on tour after the release of the album, the first singles from the project failed to gain any traction, which led to reportedly low sales. It wasn’t until the release of their most popular song to date, ‘Butterfly,’ was released that the band’s notoriety skyrocketed.

The track that sampled the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘Pretty Little Ditty’ was released towards the end of 2000 and spent two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. The track helped push the number of sales for The Gift of Game into the millions and has earned over 420 million streams on Spotify. Binzer is also known for his solo work, as he released a solo album in 2004 during Crazy Town’s hiatus Happy Love Sick. On that record included the smash hit ‘Starry Eyed Surprise,’ which was a collaboration with legendary English producer Paul Oakenfold. The track was Binzer’s most successful track outside of Crazy Town, earning over 23 million streams.

Over the last 24 hours, fans have been showing incredible support for the late rapper on social media with heartfelt messages about what he and the group meant to them. Binzer’s legacy is cemented as one of the most iconic of the early 2000s, and his music will live on for generations to come.

Relive Crazy Town’s 1999 album The Gift of Game here and listen to Shifty Shellshock and Paul Oakenfold’s ‘Starry Eyed Surprise’ here.