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Shifty Shellshock

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Seth Brooks Binzer (August 23, 1974 – June 24, 2024), better known by his stage name Shifty Shellshock,[10] was an American rapper and singer-songwriter who cofounded the rap rock band Crazy Town, known for their hit song "Butterfly". He later had a solo career as well. Binzer struggled with addiction throughout his career and appeared on the reality television series Celebrity Rehab and Sober House.

Shifty Shellshock
close-up of Binzer wearing a dark shirt and patterned baseball cap and smiling at camera
Binzer in 2009
Background information
Birth nameSeth Brooks Binzer
Born(1974-08-23)August 23, 1974
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedJune 24, 2024(2024-06-24) (aged 49)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • actor
Years active1992–2024
Formerly ofCrazy Town

Music career

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Crazy Town

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Main article: Crazy Town

Binzer met fellow Crazy Town frontman Bret Mazur in 1992; they started collaborating under the name The Brimstone Sluggers. By early 1999, they formed the group Crazy Town.[11] In 2000, Crazy Town was signed to tour with Ozzfest. They were kicked out after two weeks when Binzer was arrested for throwing a chair through a window while drunk.[11][12]

The band's single, "Butterfly", was a global hit. It peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and in several other countries including Austria, Denmark, and Norway. The success of the single prompted sales of their debut album, The Gift of Game, to exceed 1.5 million.[13]

Their 2002 follow-up album, Darkhorse,[14] was a commercial failure by comparison, and the band broke up shortly after its release.[15]

Crazy Town announced they had reformed in 2007,[16] and performed live for the first time in five years in August 2009.[17] They released their third album, The Brimstone Sluggers, in 2015.[18]

Solo career and the Big Shots

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Shellshock in 2007

During Crazy Town's hiatus, Binzer collaborated with British producer and musician Paul Oakenfold, contributing vocals to Oakenfold's hit single "Starry Eyed Surprise". The track was for Oakenfold's first solo studio album Bunkka. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine in the US, Binzer said that the track was created after the pair met at a Crazy Town show.[19] The song peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the UK Singles Chart.[20]

Binzer released his only solo album, Happy Love Sick, in 2004. The first single from the album, "Slide Along Side", charted in several European countries, including number 29 on the UK Singles Chart,[20] and number 11 in Italy.[21]

In July 2010, Binzer's new group, Shifty and the Big Shots, released their first single, "Save Me".[22]

Personal life

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Binzer was born in Los Angeles on August 23, 1974; his father, Rollin Binzer, worked as an artist and documentary film director, and his mother, Leslie Brooks, worked as a model and script proofreader.[23][24] He grew up primarily in Los Angeles with the exception of a brief period in Marblehead, Massachusetts.[23] He began writing rhymes and rap songs by the age of 12.[24]

In a 2001 interview with Rolling Stone, Binzer admitted to spending three months in the California Institution for Men following an attempted burglary, to selling and using recreational drugs over a period of several years, as well as to struggling with drug addiction.[25]

Binzer married Melissa Clark in 2002. They had a son named Halo. In 2011, Clark filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Binzer dated Tracy Shelor[26] in 2008. They had a son named Gage.[23]

Binzer began a relationship with British model Jasmine Lennard in 2010. On March 27, 2011, police responded to a report of a domestic disturbance between the pair. Binzer was arrested for outstanding warrants and released later that day. In a video interview with TMZ.com, Binzer stated the disturbance was simply a noise complaint, and that the outstanding warrant was for counter-assaulting a security guard who was using unnecessary force when trying to throw him out of a club.[27] Lennard and Binzer announced their engagement in 2012. Binzer was arrested in February 2012 for battery and cocaine possession, and sentenced to three years' probation; his relationship with Lennard ended shortly thereafter.[28] Binzer and Lennard had a son named Phoenix.[23] In 2013, Lennard asked a California court for exclusive custody of their son, claiming Binzer smoked crack in front of him and once left a crack pipe in his room.[29]

In 2022, Binzer was dating actress Soleil Moon Frye when he was arrested for DUI in Los Angeles.[30]

Addiction problems and reality shows

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Following his struggle with substance abuse, Binzer was one of nine celebrities featured in the first season of VH1's Celebrity Rehab.[31] Binzer graduated from treatment with the other cast members in the summer of 2007. His sobriety was short-lived and subsequently he appeared briefly towards the end of Celebrity Rehab 2, where Dr. Drew and Binzer's sponsor retrieved him from his hotel room where he had been using drugs and brought him to the Pasadena Recovery Center.[32]

Binzer also appeared on a follow-up show titled Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House. In July 2008, while shooting scenes for the show, Binzer walked out on production and into a heavy relapse after feeling insulted at a club.[33] William Smith, an employee of Dr. Drew, eventually sought out Binzer at a motel and brought him back to the rehab facility. An embarrassed Binzer pledged to Smith and Dr. Drew that the binge he embarked on was his last. On the show's final episode, Binzer is shown in the preliminary stages of being signed to a record producer for a new song, and resolves to stay sober.[34] On the August 30, 2009, episode of Loveline, Dr. Drew gave an emotional eulogy to his good friend and Binzer's former bandmate DJ AM, who had died two days previously from an accidental drug overdose shortly after breaking 11 years of sobriety. During the tribute, Dr. Drew mentioned that Binzer's problems with addiction continued after Sober House 1, eventually leading Binzer to take part in Sober House 2. When filming for Sober House 2 began, Dr. Drew got a "distress call" from Binzer and the two met, with Binzer revealing to Drew that his thirst for drugs was still very much active, and that he needed more help. Dr. Drew reluctantly allowed him to take part in the show and firmly stated that it would be the last time Drew gave him treatment. Dr. Drew voiced his hope that Goldstein's death would inspire Binzer to remain sober.[35]

Health issues and death

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On March 29, 2012, Binzer was admitted to a hospital after losing consciousness. He awakened from the coma and was later released from the hospital.[36]

On June 24, 2024, Binzer died at his home in Los Angeles from an accidental overdose of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine; he was 49.[37][38]

Discography

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See also: Crazy Town § Discography

Albums

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Year Album details
2004 Happy Love Sick
  • UK release: July 13
  • US release: September 6
  • Label: Maverick

Singles

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Year Title Peak chart positions Album
ITA
[39] 		UK
[20] 		SWE
[40] 		SWI
[41] 		FRA
[42] 		AUS
[43][44] 		NLD
[45] 		GER
[46] 		NZ
[47] 		US
[48] 		US
Top 40
[48]
2002 "Starry Eyed Surprise"
(Paul Oakenfold featuring Shifty Shellshock) 		— 6 — — — 37 41 — 19 41 13 Happy Love Sick
2004 "Slide Along Side" 11 29 36 42 45 48 24 63 — — 38
"Turning Me On" — — — — — — — — — — —

As Shifty & the Big Shots

  • 2010: "Save Me"[49]
  • 2010: "City of Angels"[49]

Others

  • 2006: "Greatest Lovers" (Shellshock & Pony Boy)[50]

Filmography

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Binzer had a minor role in the 1994 film Clifford, and played the lead role in the 2004 short film Willowbee.[10] He also appeared in the 2016 film Dead 7.[51]

References

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  1. ^ a b Nimmervoll, Ed. "Crazy Town − Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 19, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Crazy Town : The Gift Of Game". NME. September 12, 2005. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  3. ^ Wippsson, Johan. "Crazytown − Darkhorse". Melodic. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015.
  4. ^ "Top 10 Alt-Rock One-Hit Wonders". Archived from the original on July 18, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  5. ^ Miller, Victoria. "The 5 best one-hit wonder alternative rock artists". AXS. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  6. ^ "28 Nu-Metal Era Bands You Probably Forgot All About". NME. August 11, 2011. Archived from the original on December 10, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  7. ^ "The Bluffer's Guide: Nu-Metal". Team Rock. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  8. ^ Udo, Tommy (2002). Brave Nu World. Sanctuary Publishing. pp. 187–88. ISBN 1-86074-415-X.
  9. ^ "Album Announcement: Crazy Town Return With "The Brimstone Sluggers"". Confort Magazine. Archived from the original on August 12, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  10. ^ a b "Shifty Shellshock". BuddyTV. February 27, 2008. Archived from the original on January 13, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
  11. ^ a b Edwards, Gavin (March 15, 2001). "Q&A: Shifty Shellshock of Crazy Town". Rolling Stone. No. 864. p. 35.
  12. ^ Johnson, Tina (June 13, 2006). "Crazy Town Leaves Ozzfest After Arrest". MTV. Archived from the original on February 17, 2009. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
  13. ^ Jeckell, Barry (January 10, 2002). "News on Crazy Town, Nelly, NY Metropolis Fest". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  14. ^ Wiederhorn, Joe (September 23, 2002). "Crazy Town Take On All Comers With Darkhorse". MTV. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  15. ^ Kaufman, Gil (February 8, 2007). "Where Ya Been?: City High Drop Out, Crazy Town Stop The Insanity". MTV. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  16. ^ Harris, Chris (December 5, 2007). "Kris Kross, Crazy Town, EMF, Extreme And More Unmemorable Reunions, In Our Year-End Top 10s − Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
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  20. ^ a b c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 496. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  21. ^ "Shifty – Slide Along Side". lescharts.com.
  22. ^ "Save Me by Shifty and The Big Shots". Amazon.com. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  23. ^ a b c d Ruberg, Sara; Sanders, Hank (June 25, 2024). "Seth Binzer, Crazy Town's Lead Singer, 'Shifty Shellshock,' Dies at 49". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  24. ^ a b Motwane, Alea (June 25, 2024). "Shifty Shellshock, Crazy Town Lead Singer, Dead at 49". Los Angeles. Retrieved June 29, 2024. Born on Aug. 23, 1974, Binzer was raised in Southern California by his parents Leslie Brooks and Rollin Binzer. ... By the age of 12, he started writing rhymes and rap songs, marking the beginning of his musical journey.
  25. ^ Keeps, David (August 2, 2001). "U are now Entering Crazy Town". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 17, 2019.
  26. ^ Mouriquand, David (June 26, 2024). "Crazy Town singer Shifty Shellshock who sang 'Butterfly' dies aged 49". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024.
  27. ^ "Shifty Shellshock Arrested on Outstanding Warrants". TMZ. March 7, 2011. Archived from the original on May 28, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2011.
  28. ^ Sciarretto, Amy (August 1, 2012). "Crazy Town's Shifty Shellshock Sentenced to Three Years Probation for Cocaine Possession". Noise Creep. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  29. ^ "Baby's Mama asks for full custody". TMZ. November 23, 2013. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  30. ^ OK! Staff (July 6, 2022). "Soleil Moon Frye's Boyfriend Shifty Shellshock Arrested For DUI". OK! News. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  31. ^ Patten, Dominic (December 1, 2010). "Dr. Drew's Celeb Rehabbers -– How Clean Are They Now?". TheWrap. Archived from the original on June 19, 2021.
  32. ^ Dickey, Josh (June 25, 2024). "Seth Binzer, Crazy Town Frontman and 'Butterfly' Singer Who Went by Shifty Shellshock, Dies at 49". TheWrap. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024.
  33. ^ "Shifty Shellshock Falls Off "Sober Living" Wagon". TMZ. July 28, 2008. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
  34. ^ Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House: Season one, episode eight (Television episode). United States: Irwin Entertainment, Inc. March 12, 2009.
  35. ^ Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House: Season two, episode two (Television episode). United States: Irwin Entertainment, Inc. March 18, 2010.
  36. ^ "Crazy Town Singer Shifty Shellshock Apologizes For Drug Addiction, Arrest". inquisitr.com. August 3, 2012. Archived from the original on February 26, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  37. ^ "Seth Binzer". County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  38. ^ Chinman, Luke; Clam, Flarna (September 24, 2024). "Crazy Town Frontman Shifty Shellshock Cause of Death Revealed 3 Months After He Died at 49". People. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  39. ^ "Shifty". italiancharts.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  40. ^ "Shifty". swedishcharts.com. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  41. ^ "Shifty". swisscharts.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
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  43. ^ "Shifty". australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  44. ^ "Oakenfold – Starry Eyed Surprise (song)". australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  45. ^ Dutch Charts Archived December 7, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Search for 'Shifty' and 'Paul Oakenfold'
  46. ^ "Shifty". musicline.de. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  47. ^ "Seth "Shifty Shellshock" Binzer". charts.nz. Archived from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  48. ^ a b Allmusic Archived May 25, 2019, at the Wayback Machine Search for 'Shifty' and 'Paul Oakenfold'
  49. ^ a b "È morto a 49 anni Shifty Shellshock, il frontman dei Crazy Town". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). June 25, 2024.
  50. ^ "Seth Binzer Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More..." AllMusic.
  51. ^ Yamato, Jen (September 22, 2015). "On the Set of 'Dead 7,' the All Boy-Band Zombie Western". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022.
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