"God knows he tried so hard to beat his demons" - Shifty Shellshock's family breaks silence after Crazy Town frontman's death

Crazy Town frontman Shifty Shellshock's family has broken their silence on the singer's death. Shifty, real name Seth Brooks Binzer, was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Monday, June 29, 2024. His death was caused by an accidental drug overdose. He was 49.

On Saturday, his family shared a statement with The Sun, honoring the Butterfly singer:

"To 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 boys more than anything, and his dedication to his music and fans never wavered," the statement said.

It addressed Shifty's struggles with drug addiction throughout his life, stating:

"Seth struggled with addiction throughout his life, he did so on a very public platform which was particularly challenging. God knows he tried so hard to beat his demons but sadly he lost his battle."

The statement ended the tribute by saying the singer would live through his sons, Halo, Gege, and Pheonix, who were his "proudest accomplishments."

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Shifty Shellshock appeared on VH1 reality shows Sober House and Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew

Shifty Shellshock co-founded the rap-rock group The Brimstone Sluggers in 1995 along with Bret "Epic" Mazur. They later renamed it Crazy Town. The band rose to fame in 2000 with their single Butterfly, which charted atop the Billboard 200 for two weeks. However, they could never match the success of Butterfly again.

Shifty Shellshock was vocal about his struggles with drug addiction over the years.

He appeared on two seasons of reality TV shows Sober House and Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew. During his appearance on Celebrity Rehab, he confessed his addiction to cocaine and stimulants.

In a statement made to PEOPLE, Shifty's former manager, Howie Hubberman, explained that the cause of death was "a combination of prescription drugs and street purchased drugs." He explained:

"Seth Binzer, after struggling with addiction and Crazy Town's rapid success with 'Butterfly,' never was able to reach out on a more successful level to deal with his addictions. We all tried, but ultimately we all failed, or Shifty would still be here."

Hubberman added that Shifty "really wanted to get himself fixed," but nobody, including Hubberman himself, "had the exact tools" to do so.

In a 2001 interview with Rolling Stone, the singer admitted to using and selling recreational drugs. In 2012, he was arrested on charges of battery and cocaine possession and sentenced to three years of probation. The same year, he was admitted to the hospital for losing consciousness and had been in a coma before he was released.

While there was no official statement, many believed the stint was drug-related.

Just months before his death, Seth shared a post updating his fans on his sobriety, featuring a heart drawn on the ground, with the caption:

"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"

Shifty Shellshock is survived by his three sons.