Shifty Shellshock, the frontman of rap rock band Loopy City who sang the hit music “Butterfly,” has died. He was 49.
In line with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s web site, Shellshock — whose beginning title was Seth Binzer — died at his residence on Monday. A trigger has not but been disclosed.
Shellshock met his Loopy City co-founder, Bret Mazur, in 1992. They first started making music beneath the title the Brimstone Sluggers, however by 1999, their moniker was modified to Loopy City and the band had added members Rust Epique, James Bradley Jr. (aka JBJ), Doug Miller, Adam Goldstein (aka DJ AM) and Antonio Lorenzo “Bother” Valli. Loopy City’s debut album, “The Present of Recreation,” launched in November 1999 and the band supported the Purple Sizzling Chili Peppers on tour shortly after.
In October 2000, Loopy City launched “Butterfly” because the third single from “The Present of Recreation.” The music samples the Purple Sizzling Chili Peppers’ “Fairly Little Ditty” and options Shellshock’s laid-back rapping model — “Come my girl, come-come my girl, You’re my butterfly, sugar child” — seamlessly mixing the 2 genres. The observe reached No. 1 on the Billboard Sizzling 100 for 2 non-consecutive weeks and have become the band’s largest hit.
After Loopy City’s second album, “Darkhorse” (2002), didn’t evoke the identical fervor, the band broke up. Shellshock then pursued a solo profession, collaborating with Paul Oakenfold on his 2002 hit “Starry Eyed Shock,” which peaked at No. 41 on the charts. In 2004, Shellshock launched his first solo album, “Glad Love Sick,” which discovered average success in Europe.
Shellshock had been open about his struggles with dependancy and appeared on a number of actuality exhibits relating to the matter, together with two seasons of VH1’s “Superstar Rehab” and two seasons of its follow-up present “Sober Home.” In 2012, he was admitted to the hospital after shedding consciousness and fell right into a coma earlier than recovering. He was most lately arrested for a DUI in 2022.
Shellshock is survived by his three youngsters, Halo, Gage and Phoenix.