Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Article content
Shifty Shellshock, the frontman of Crazy Town, a California rap-rock band that broke out in 2000 with their hit song Butterfly, has died at the age of 49.
Advertisement 2
Article content
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner shared the news on its website, noting that the musician, whose real name is Seth Binzer, was found dead at his Los Angeles home on Monday. No cause of death was listed.
In April, in what would be one of his final social media posts, the musician shared a cryptic message to his Instagram page that read, “The black sheep, the odd ducks, the eccentrics, the loners, the lost and forgotten. More often than not, these people have the most beautiful souls.”
Article content
In his final post, April 28, he shared a photo of a man in a black mask with the words, “Real is rare, fake is everywhere.” He captioned the image, “To the ones who stay even when I try my hardest to scare (them) away.”
Your Midday Sun
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
Fans flooded Shellshock’s posts by paying tribute to the late musician. “You were such a beautiful soul. I hope you are at peace now,” one person wrote, with another adding, “I’m so heartbroken over this.”
Crazy Town’s platinum-selling debut album, The Gift of the Game, was released in 1999 with Butterfly, which sampled the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Pretty Little Ditty, leading to the band’s breakout the following year. On the track, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Shellshock rapped the memorable lyrics “Come my lady, come-come my lady, You’re my butterfly, sugar baby.”
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Advertisement 4
Article content
After Crazy Town’s 2002 sophomore LP, Darkhorse, flopped, the band broke up. According to Variety, Shellshock had modest success as a solo artist, working with Paul Oakenfold on Starry Eyed Surprise, which peaked at No. 41 on the charts, and his first solo album, Happy Love Sick, which was a minor hit in Europe after its release in 2004.
Crazy Town got back together in 2007 and released their final LP in 2015, The Brimstone Sluggers, which failed to make an impact on the charts.
In 2017, after co-founder Bret Mazur exited the band for good, Shellshock changed the name of the group to Crazy Town X.
One of their past members, DJ AM, survived a deadly plane crash in 2008 alongside Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker, but died a year later of a drug overdose.
Advertisement 5
Article content
Shellshock appeared on several reality shows that spotlighted his struggles with substance abuse, including two seasons of VH1’s Celebrity Rehab and Sober House. In 2012, TMZ reported that he was arrested for roughing up his girlfriend at a Ross Dress For Less department store. During that same incident, he was also charged with drug possession.
After his arrest, he pledged he was turning his life around. “I’m good. I’m clean. I’m happy,” he told TMZ.
But a year later, Shellshock’s ex Jasmine Lennard accused him of smoking crack in their kid’s bedroom.
In 2023, Shellshock made headlines again when he was caught brawling on video with a fellow bandmate and was arrested again for driving under the influence.
According to Variety, Shellshock is survived by his three children, Halo, Gage and Phoenix.
Article content
