Crazy Town is an American rap group formed in 1995 by Epic Mazur and Seth Binzer (Shifty Shellshock). The group is best known for their 2000 hit Butterfly, which peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Introducing Crazy Town and the band's hit
Bret Mazur and Seth Binzer were both surrounded by music growing up in Southern California. Mazur's father was Billy Joel's manager, and Binzer's father was an artist and director who directed the film Ladies and Gentlemen.
However, the two boys preferred a different style of music, listening to NWA, Cypress Hill and Ice-T, as well as alternative rock bands such as the Cure.
Mazur in his early years began working on records of MC Serch (from 3rd bass), Eazy-E and MC Lyte; for a short period of time he was also the DJ for House of Pain.
Shifty and Epic met in the early 1990s when they attended the same high school together. Then Shifty began to write and read rap lyrics, Epic tried to become a famous DJ.
Together they founded the Brimstone Sluggers project, and even signed a contract. However, the group failed due to lack of interest on both sides.
In 1996, Shifty was sentenced to 90 days in a Chino State Penitentiary for a raid on a drug dealer. After the release of Shifty, they decided to form a new group with several members.
The name was borrowed from former skater Shifty West Side Crazies and skateboard manufacturer Dog Town.
Crazy Town gained some stability and notoriety in 1999 when Rust Epique, James Bradley Jr., Doug Miller, Adam Goldstein and Antonio Lorenzo promised to be members of the group.
In the same year, the band released their debut studio album The Gift Game. Although the album took some time to catch on, it eventually became a huge commercial hit.
It then went on to sell over 1,5 million records in the US. The album features tracks from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Siouxsie and the Banshees, as well as guest appearances from KRS-One and Tha Alkaholiks.
In 2001, their career took off. The album was on the leaderboards for about six months and became a worldwide hit.
Group break
At the end of 2003, the group announced a break. Since then, labels Epic and Squirrel have concentrated on creating new bands under the Body Snatchers moniker.
Shifty was involved with the Beverly Hills clothing brand, Taylor was planning a solo project, and Faido and Kyle were touring with Suicidal Tendencies and Hotwire.
In 2004, Shifty's solo disc Happy Love Sick was released with the same label Maverick Records, but sold very poorly. Shifty's second solo single Turning Me On was only released in the United States.
In April 2005, Crazy Town got back together in the studio and recorded a few songs. A CD with the working title "2013" was supposed to go on sale, but the work was put on hold.
Instead, Shifty devoted himself to his new project Cherry Lane with American singer Lance Jones. Some of the duo's songs are R&B, but the project was quickly completed.
In 2006, it became known that Shifty had founded a new group called Porno Punks.
When labels Epic and Squirrel, who were in the not-so-popular group The Pharmacy, were interviewed by MTV, Epic said: “It’s not that we live in the past, but we were lucky that in our time we achieved success, saw the whole world and our work topped the music charts. Having gone through this experience, I am satisfied with what is now happening in my life.”
Crazy Town reunion
The band's new album, Crazy Town is Back, was announced in 2008 and included Hit That Switch and Hard To Get. On August 26, 2009, Crazy Town played their first live show at Les Deux (Hollywood, California) after a five-year hiatus. They did this to celebrate the birthdays of Shifty and Epic.
After a ten-year hiatus, the rap metal band is back to start a new chapter. But succumbing to personal problems within the band, the only two remaining members of the band, Seth Binzer (Shifty) and Bret Epic Mazur, once again faced the difficult task of reuniting Crazy Town.
Their hit single Butterfly, featuring a sample of the Red Little Chilli Peppers and Pretty Little Dirty, was certified double platinum and reached No. 1 on the charts in four countries, securing their biggest success.
It is not surprising that when they reunited, they were worried about whether they could achieve such heights as in the old days. In 2013 they created a new official page on Facebook and Twitter. In December 2013, the band released a new single, Lemonface.
Since the new songs were not popular, Epic Mazur left the group in 2017. All the members left with him and Shifty was left alone in the group. He is still holding on to the project, which is now called Crazy Town X. There are 4 other musicians in the group besides him.
Despite their short-lived success, Crazy Town has made a significant contribution to the creative world. Their concert halls were filled with people, and records were selling at an instant rate.
