The family of Crazy Town frontman Shifty Shellshock has broken their silence after the rapper was tragically found dead at age 49 on Monday.
The singer and songwriter, whose real name was Seth Binzer, was found dead on the floor of his Los Angeles home by an anonymous visitor.
Police were called to the scene and it is believed Binzer had been dead for more than 24 hours before his body was discovered.
The death is now being considered a possible overdose after drug paraphernalia and a lighter were found near Sean’s body, according to the outlet’s sources.
The Butterfly hitmaker had just declared himself sober after years of battling substance abuse.
The family of Crazy Town frontman Shifty Shellshock has broken their silence after the rapper was tragically found dead at age 49 on Monday (2001 photo)
The singer-songwriter, whose real name was Seth Binzer, was found dead on the floor of his Los Angeles home by an anonymous visitor.
In an emotional statement published by TSunThe star’s loved ones remembered him fondly as they shared a very moving tribute.
‘For Seth, the world was art; he loved every part of it, from music and fashion to graffiti, skateboarding and his hometown of Los Angeles.
“He loved his three children more than anything, and his dedication to his music and his fans never wavered,” the statement read.
“Seth battled addiction throughout his life, he did so on a very public platform which was particularly challenging.”
The family said they were “devastated” by the devastating loss, and although he was a “troubled soul”, they remembered him fondly as a beautiful person who had a “heart of gold”.
The case is now in the hands of the coroner and an autopsy on Sean’s body has been completed.
The cause of the singer’s death is currently listed as “deferred” as an official confirmation cannot be made until the results of the toxicology report are obtained.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner confirmed the singer’s death on Monday.
In an emotional statement published by The Sun, his family said: “He loved his three children more than anything, and his dedication to his music and his fans never wavered” (pictured in 2003).
The death is now being investigated as a possible overdose after drug paraphernalia and a lighter were found near Sean’s body, the outlet’s sources said.
In 2012, Seth was admitted to the hospital after losing consciousness and was in a coma before being discharged.
The musician recently spoke about getting sober and his battle “with himself.”
He wrote on Instagram eight weeks ago: ‘I’m a lover than a fighter… but the one I need to love more, instead of fighting, is myself… Lord cunning true love #Sober, Alive & Grateful’
Seth battled drug addiction for many years and appeared on the reality series Celebrity Rehab 1 and 2 and Sober House 1 and 2.
He is survived by three children from three relationships.
Seth has a son, Halo, with his ex-wife Melissa Clark. The couple married in 2002, but Melissa filed for divorce in 2011, after the couple had been separated for six years.
He later dated a woman named Tracy with whom he had his son Gage.
Seth began a relationship with Jasmine Lennard in 2010 and they have a son, Phoenix. Their relationship ended after his arrest in 2012.
Tributes from fans have poured in as they take to X, formerly Twitter, to share their sadness following the announcement of his sudden passing.
They wrote: ‘Rip Shifty Shellshock’;
‘RIP to Shifty Shellshock from Crazy Town. I hope you have found peace’;
‘Slide Along Side by Shifty Shellshock was always on my playlist as a kid’;
Rest in peace Shifty Shellshock from Crazy Town. There is no denying that Butterfly was an absolute success.
“I am deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Shifty Shellshock from Crazy Town. Butterfly is, ironically, one of my favorite songs of all time.”
Last June, a mugshot of Seth went viral after the star was seen looking completely unrecognizable from his days in the band.
Seth was arrested in Myrle Beach, South Carolina, for driving under the influence in April 2023.
He looked a far cry from his days as a young punk rocker when he sat for his mugshot after failing a sobriety test.
Seth, known in the past for his youthful good looks and edgy aesthetic, appears gaunt and disheveled in the image.
While her famous lip piercing still remains, her face has been transformed with large tattoos over the years.
In his latest Instagram video he confirmed that Crazy Town and Black Oxygen were releasing a new version of Butterfly.
A police report obtained by TMZ claims local cops stopped Seth after they saw him swerving in and out of lanes in a black pickup truck.
Seth, whose battle with addiction has been well-documented, apparently appeared lethargic and slurred his words before failing a field sobriety test.
The incident occurred just a week after Seth and his Crazy Town bandmate Bobby Reeves got into a fistfight after a concert in Myrtle Beach.
The dispute between the musicians stemmed from anger that the group’s lead singer, Shellshock, was not present until the end of the show, TMZ reported at the time.
Co-vocalist Bobby sang in his place, delivering a performance filled with gaffes and angry words toward Seth, as seen in a clip posted by a TikTok user.
Seth eventually arrived at the concert and was seen in the social media clip getting into a heated argument with Bobby, who was later seen with a black eye.
In a clip posted by TMZ, band members were seen backstage arguing over money and repeatedly clashing with each other, with Bobby threatening Seth’s family members.
“I think you’re a jerk, buddy,” Bobby said to Seth in the clip.
The exchange finally broke down after Bobby punched Seth and the pair were on the ground fighting.
Sources close to the band told the outlet that the exchange was a “sibling fight” and that the couple has since reconciled.
Bobby confirmed it in a clip he posted on Instagram, showing his black eye as a result of the conflict.
“Shifty and I had a little fight, but everything’s okay, we’re brothers,” he said. “I love them all, and you too, Shifty.”
In 2012, Seth apologized to his friends and family for the embarrassment he caused them after being convicted of drug possession and attacking his girlfriend.
Seth and Epic Mazur (right) performing at the Nova Rock Festival 2014 in Nickelsdorf, Austria
He was sentenced to three years’ probation after pleading not guilty to both charges in court.
In his statement to TMZ, he said: “I would like to sincerely apologize to all parties involved. I feel very sorry for those I have offended and those who have endured this situation.”
His rep also weighed in, saying, “Seth has completely turned his life around and has checked himself into a highly respected drug and alcohol treatment facility, where he will work with them to restructure his life over the next two years.”
He was initially arrested in February 2012 when a Los Angeles store employee saw him fighting with his girlfriend and called police.
When they arrived and searched him, they discovered that he was carrying cocaine.
Seth met co-frontman Bret Mazur in 1992, and they first called themselves Brimstone Sluggers.
In 1999, they formed Crazy Town, and a year later they were due to tour as part of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne’s Ozzfest, but Binzer was arrested after throwing a chair out of a window while intoxicated.
Released in 2000, the 2000s classic Butterfly topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and was number one in several other countries, including Austria, Denmark and Norway.
It samples Pretty Little Ditty from the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 1989 album Mother’s Milk, so the group is credited as songwriters.
Their debut album, The Gift of Game, sold more than 1.5 million copies.
However, after their 2002 follow-up, Darkhorse, was a flop, they split up.
They reformed in 2007 and returned to the stage in 2009. Their third album, The Brimstone Sluggers, followed in 2015.
In January 2017, Mazur, nicknamed Epic, announced his departure from the band, with Rick Dixon, Nick Diiorio, and Kevin Kapler also leaving that April.
Binzer then added an ‘X’ next to the band’s name, because “it is used by gangs to symbolize territory that has just been won.”
In November 2019, Crazy Town’s tour van crashed into a moose in Ontario, Canada, and members, including Binzer, were treated for bruises and cuts in hospital.
Crazy Town – Binzer, DJ Rick One and Mark White – held their final tour in 2023 with Hed PE, the shows continued despite a bloody fight between Binzer and the group’s vocalist Bobby Reeves outside a venue in Myrtle Beach, North Carolina. South.
Binzer also had a solo career and joined forces with British producer and musician Paul Oakenfold to provide vocals for his 2002 hit Starry Eyed Surprise.
His debut solo album, Happy Love Sick, was released in 2004.
He also formed Shifty and The Big Shots in 2010.
Binzer was often in trouble with the law, with crimes including attempted robbery and the sale and use of recreational drugs.
He has two children, a son named Halo, from his marriage to Melissa Clark, and a son with a woman named Tracy, whom he calls Gage.
Binzer was in a relationship with Jasmine Lennard in 2010, but police were called to a domestic disturbance between the couple the following year.
In 2022, he began having a romance with his childhood friend, Punky Brewster actress Soleil Moon Frye, 47, when he was arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles.