LOS ANGELES — Seth Binzer, the lead singer of the 2000s-era rock-rap band Crazy Town, has died. He was 49.
The band co-founder and reality star, better known by his stage name Shifty Shellshock, died Monday at his Los Angeles home, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records. An investigation to determine his cause of death has been opened.
Representatives for the musician did not immediately respond Tuesday to The Times’ request for comment.
Binzer, who was open about his protracted struggle with addiction, also appeared on the reality series “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew” and “Sober House” between 2008 and 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 its 2000 hit “Butterfly.”
While their debut album “The Gift of the Game” was a hit that sold 2.5 million copies worldwide, their 2002 follow-up “Darkhorse” didn’t fare as well and ultimately led to the band’s split. Binzer went solo shortly after, releasing his album “Happy Love Sick” in 2004.
“I tried to remove the heavy rock element,” he told The Times then. “This is more surfer hip-hop: hip-hop with reggae overtones, some dance music and R&B influences.”
The band reunited and in 2015 released their third album, “The Brimstone Sluggers.”
