Crazy Town's Shifty Shellshock dead at 49

Crazy Town vocalist Shifty Shellshock has died, at the age of 49.

The death of the rap-rock star, real name Seth Binzer, was announced by Newsweek this morning (June 25). He was found dead at his home in Los Angeles on June 24: as yet, no cause of death has been made public.

Binzer co-founded Crazy Town in 1995 with co-vocalist Bret 'Epic' Mazur. The band, known as The Brimstone Sluggers until 1999, released their debut album The Gift Of Game in November 1999.

The album reached number 1 hit on the US Heatseekers charts following the success of its third single Butterfly in late 2000 and early 2001. The track, which sampled Pretty Little Ditty by the Red Hot Chili Peppers , quickly became a mainstay of the nu metal era and made it to number one on 12 charts, including the US’s Billboard Hot 100 as well as on the national singles charts in Austria, Switzerland, Norway and more. The Gift Of Game went on to sell upwards of 1.5 million copies.

Crazy Town released one further album, Darkhorse (2002), before splitting in 2003. They reunited in 2007 and released one more record with Binzer on vocals, The Brimstone Sluggers (2015).

The singer also released a solo album called Happy Love Sick in 2004.

Binzer struggled with addiction during his life, and appeared on the reality television programmes Celebrity Rehab 1 and 2 and Sober House 1 and 2 .

In 2012, the vocalist was admitted to hospital after losing consciousness. He was released from medical care after awakening from a coma.

Binzer opened up about going sober in a social media post in April.

He wrote on Instagram: “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”