What was Shifty Shellshock's Net Worth?
Shifty Shellshock was an American musician who had a net worth of $25,000 at the time of his death. Shifty Shellshock was best known for co-founding and serving as a frontman of the rap rock band Crazy Town. In 1999, Crazy Town released the smash-hit song "Butterfly." "Butterfly" reached number one on the Billboard charts and propelled their album "The Gift of Game" to sell more than two million copies. The song was one of the biggest hits of the 2000s era and was featured in many films, TV shows and commercials. After the failure of their next album the group disbanded and Shifty pursued a solo career which yielded one additional hit song called "Starry Eyed Surprise" which was a collaboration with DJ Paul Oakenfold.
Shifty struggled with various personal issues later in life. He appeared on the VH1 reality television series "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" and "Sober House" for his substance addiction problems. Unfortunately, Shifty Shellshock died on June 24, 2024, at the age of 49.
Crazy Town
Shifty Shellshock, whose real name is Seth Binzer, was born on August 23, 1974 in Los Angeles, California.
In 1992, Binzer met rapper Bret Mazur, with whom he began performing under the name the Brimstone Sluggers in 1995. The two were joined by DJ Adam Bravin, and later by Rust Epique, James Bradley Jr., Adam Goldstein, Doug Miller, and Antonio Valli. In early 1999, the new band became known as Crazy Town, and released its debut album, "The Gift of Game," in November. The album was a success, reaching number nine on the Billboard 200 and eventually launching the number-one hit single "Butterfly," which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 in 2001. Crazy Town's second album, "Darkhorse," came out in 2002; it failed to match the commercial success of its predecessor. The band subsequently broke up in 2003.
In 2007, Binzer and Mazur reformed Crazy Town. The group went on to perform for the first time in five years at Les Deux in Los Angeles in 2009. Crazy Town continued to perform over the subsequent years, and in 2011 released a few new songs online. In 2015, Crazy Town released its first album in 13 years, entitled "The Brimstone Sluggers." A couple years after that, upon the departure of Mazur from the band, Binzer changed the band's name to Crazy Town X. The group got into some trouble in late 2019 when its van crashed into a moose during a tour in Ontario, Canada. In 2022, guitarist Christian Rivera joined the band.
Frontman Shifty Shellshock from the group Crazy Town. (Photo by Markus Cuff/Corbis via Getty Images)
Solo Career
While Crazy Town was broken up in the early-to-mid 00s, Binzer collaborated with musician Paul Oakenfold on his single "Starry Eyed Surprise." The song was a hit, reaching number six in Oakenfold's native UK and number 41 in the US. After that, in 2004, Binzer released his debut solo album as Shifty Shellshock, "Happy Love Sick." Singles from the album included "Slide Along Side" and "Turning Me On"; the album also contained the hit "Starry Eyed Surprise."
Substance Addiction Struggles
Binzer has struggled with substance addiction for much of his life, and his attempts at sobering up have been amply documented on reality television. In 2008, he was one of nine celebrities featured in the first season of the VH1 series "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew." In the season finale, Binzer agreed to enter a transitional sober living center. However, he went on to appear in the second season of "Celebrity Rehab" due to his relapse. Binzer eventually reentered treatment for his crack cocaine addiction.
From 2009 to 2010, Binzer appeared on the VH1 series "Sober House," a spinoff and continuation of "Celebrity Rehab." He appeared alongside Mary Carey, Steven Adler, Nikki McKibbin, Rodney King, and Amber Smith, with Jennifer Gimenez serving as the house manager of the sober living facility. Dr. Drew Pinsky once again provided outpatient counseling. Binzer appeared in both seasons of "Sober House," during which time his former bandmate Adam Goldstein passed away from an accidental drug overdose.
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Film Career
Beyond music and television, Binzer has appeared in some films. He had a bit part in the 1994 black comedy "Clifford," and starred in the 2004 short film "Willowbee." Binzer also appeared briefly in the 2005 drama "Hustle & Flow" and the 2016 zombie Western television film "Dead 7."
Personal Life
In 2002, Binzer married Melissa Clark; they had a son named Halo before divorcing in 2011 on account of irreconcilable differences. Binzer also has a son named Gage from his prior relationship with a woman named Tracy. He went on to date British model and television personality Jasmine Lennard, to whom he got engaged in 2012; they had a son together named Phoenix. The same year as their engagement, Binzer was arrested for battery and cocaine possession, resulting in three years of probation and the end of his relationship with Lennard.
