Crazy Town
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Crazy Town (aka. CXT) is a rapcore band formed in Hollywood, CA in the fall of 1995 by rappers/producers "Shifty Shellshock" (a.k.a. Seth Brooks Binzer) and "Epic Mazur" (a.k.a. Bret Mazur).
Binzer (from Boston) and Mazur (born in Brooklyn) had moved to Los Angeles in their infancy, and discovered Hip Hop at a young age. Binzer started writing rhymes when he was 12, and was a fan of Punk Rock. Mazur began cutting and sampling records while in High School. The two met at a studio in Hollywood sometime in 1995, forming a group originally called the Brimstone Sluggers. Other band members joined in 1999, bringing elements of punk and metal to their sound.
Crazy Town came to fame during a wave of alternative rock bands heavily influenced by Hip Hop. Their contemporary bands include Papa Roach and Limp Bizkit.
The Gift Of Game
Their debut album, The Gift of Game, was released in 1999 and became a multi-platinum seller. The first single was "Toxic", followed by "Darkside". The album's third single, "Butterfly", became one of the biggest selling singles of the year worldwide, reaching #1 in the US Hot 100 for two weeks in 2001. The song included a sample of the Red Hot Chili Peppers song "Pretty Little Ditty". It was an instant favorite among TRL audiences, and received significant airplay on MTV. Later in 2001, the band performed on MTV's Spring Break and appeared on the main stage at Ozzfest.
Changes to the line-up included "Squirrel" (a.k.a. Kraig Tyler) replacing Rust Epique on guitar, and former Shuvel drummer Kyle Hollinger taking over percussion from JBJ. Binzer remained the focal point of the group, known for his tattoos, piercings and overall look. Binzer is alleged to have said "I'm a cross between Biggie Smalls, Sid Vicious and Kurt Cobain." [citation needed]
None of the band's subsequent singles came close to the success of "Butterfly", causing many to label the band as a one hit wonder. The single also cost the band credibility among hard rock fans because of the single's sugary sound and heavy airplay on mainstream radio. The fans' backlash against Crazy Town was evident during Ozzfest when they were booed during their performance. [citation needed]
Darkhorse
Crazy Town's second album, Darkhorse, had a rockier feel. When the album was released, many rapcore fusion bands were losing popularity. The songs were very different from those on the Gift of Game, with greater focus on emotional content. The group released only two singles from the album, Drowning and Hurt You So Bad. A special edition of Hurt You So Bad was released in 2003.
Life after
Former frontman Shifty, (who dropped Shellshock from his alias) released a pop/rock solo album in 2004 called Happy Love Sick. Shifty was also featured on "Starry Eyed Surprise" by Paul Oakenfold which was a minor hit in the UK. His first solo single was "Slide Along Side", released to success in Europe. Afterwards, he released "Turning Me On" with some of The Black Eyed Peas. Shifty has since completed a project entitled "Cherry Lane", in which he collaborates with Pony Boy.
Personnel
- Shifty Shellshock (a.k.a. Seth Brooks Binzer) - vocals
- Epic Mazur (a.k.a. Bret Mazur) - vocals
- Kraig "Squirrel" Tyler - guitar
- Antonio Lorenzo Valli (a.k.a. Trouble) - guitar
- Doug "Faydoe" Miller - bass
- JBJ (a.k.a. James Bradley Jnr.) - drums (replaced by Kyle Hollinger)
- DJ AM (a.k.a. Adam Goldstein) - Turntables
- Rust Epique
Discography
- The Gift of Game (1999) #9 US - Platinum+, #15 UK
- Darkhorse (2002)
- Hurt You So Bad ( 2003)
From The Gift of Game:
- 1999 Darkside
- 2000: Toxic
- 2000 "Butterfly" #1 US, #3 UK (2001 release)
- 2001 "Revolving Door" #23 UK
From Darkhorse:
- 2002 "Drowning" #50 UK
- 2002 "Hurt You So Bad"