The world lost a music legend last month. His name was Seth Binzer, aka Shifty Shellshock, and he was 49 at the time of his death. Binzer was a musician and rapper best known as the lead singer of the Crazy Town rap rock band. His most famous work is Crazy Town’s 2000 hit song “Butterfly.”
The track topped the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for two weeks. The song also charted at number one in several other countries, including Austria, Denmark, and Norway. It is a track that will live forever; however, Binzer did not have such luxury.
He died on June 24, and initially, after his demise, his cause of death was up for speculation. Now, an autopsy has reportedly revealed that he died of an accidental fentanyl overdose. His death, officially ruled an accident, has been a shock for many of his fans. A number of them did not think drugs would be what killed him.
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The “Butterfly” hitmaker indeed has a history of substance abuse. However, about eight weeks before his death, he shared an emotional post about being sober. The post, which he shared via Instagram, reads: “I’m a lover than a fighter …but the one I need to love more instead of fight with is myself .. mr shifty true Love # Sober alive and grateful (sic).”
His fans will remember him for his musical talent. His career started in 1992 when he met co-frontman Bret Mazur. Their band’s first name was Brimstone Sluggers until 1999, after which it became Crazy Town.
One year later, they were due to tour as part of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne’s Ozzfest. But then, Binzer was arrested for throwing a chair out a window while under the influence. The band’s first album as Crazy Town was “The Gift of Game.” It was released in 1999 to a warm welcome, with over 1.5 million copies sold.
“Butterfly” was featured on the album, but the Red Hot Chili Peppers were credited as the songwriters due to sampling from their track “Pretty Little Ditty.” The band’s second album, “Darkhorse,” followed in 2002, but it was a flop. After that failure, the band temporarily split and came back together after five years.
The reunion led to tours, but they did not release new music until after about ten years when they released their third album. They all parted ways again in January 2017 with Mazus’ exit. Three other members, Rick Dixon, Nick Diiorio, and Kevin Kapler, left shortly after.
When that happened, Binzer added an ‘X’ to the band’s name, a symbolic message gangs use to represent a captured territory. Two years later, the Crazy Town tour van collided with a moose in Ontario, Canada. The remaining band members sustained minor injuries but didn’t stop touring.
The final Crazy Town band members—Binzer, DJ Rick One, and Mark White—last toured in 2023 with Hed PE. Unfortunately, the tour did not go smoothly. Reports claim that during the shows, Binzer and the group’s vocalist, Bobby Reeves, engaged in a bloody fight outside a venue in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Outside Crazy Town, Binzer managed a solo career. He is famous for his work with British producer and musician Paul Oakenfold which saw him supply vocals for his 2002 hit “Starry Eyed Surprise.” He released an album in 2004 called “Happy Love Sick” and formed another band, Shifty and the Big Shots, in 2010.
Despite his mildly successful life as a musician, Binzer had several run-ins with the law for crimes like attempted burglary and selling/using recreational drugs. As far as romance goes, Binzer made the news a few times. He was reportedly dating Jasmine Lennard in 2010.
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However, one year later, police responded to a domestic disturbance between the pair. In 2022, he was in a relationship with his childhood friend, “Punky Brewster” actress Soleil Moon Frye, 47. Around the same time, the police arrested him for driving under the influence in Los Angeles.
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