Seth Binzer, the lead singer of the 2000s rock-rap band Crazy Town, has died. He was 49 years old.
The band's co-founder and reality star, better known by his stage name Shifty Shellshock, died Monday at his home in Los Angeles, according to Los Angeles County medical examiner records. An investigation has been opened to determine the cause of his death.
Representatives for the musician did not immediately respond Tuesday to The Times' request for comment.
Binzer, who spoke openly about his long struggle with addiction, also appeared on the reality series “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew” and “Sober House” from 2008 to 2010.
His Southern California band, which fused heavy metal and hip-hop, formed in Los Angeles in 1999 when he and Bret “Epic” Mazur recruited rockers Rust Epique, Doug Miller, James Bradley Jr., Antonio Lorenzo Valli and Adam Goldstein. The group topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart with their 2000 hit “Butterfly.”
While their debut album “The Gift of the Game” was a hit, selling 2.5 million copies worldwide, their 2002 follow-up album, “Darkhorse,” did not fare as well and ultimately led to the band's breakup. the band. Binzer went solo soon after and released his album “Happy Love Sick” in 2004.
“I tried to eliminate the heavy rock element,” he told The Times at the time. “This is more surfer hip-hop: hip-hop with nuances of reggae, some dance music and R&B influences.”
The band reunited and in 2015 released their third album, “The Brimstone Sluggers.”
