'CHRIS KELLY' (KRIS KROSS) 'REST-IN-PEACE'
Chris Kelly of Kriss Kross took cocaine and heroin before death, mother says
*Rapper's mother told authorities her son had a history of drug abuse after Kelly was found dead in Atlanta on Wednesday
Kelly was discovered unresponsive in his Atlanta home
and pronounced dead at Atlanta Medical Center shortly after 5:30 p.m. local time, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner.
Authorities completed a physical examination of Kelly's body and a toxicology screening was being done to determine cause of death, said Betty Honey of the Fulton County medical examiner's office..
Kelly and fellow Kris Kross member Chris Smith were just 13 in 1991 when they were famously discovered at Atlanta's Greenbriar Mall by well-known rapper and producer Jermaine Dupri, who was just 19 himself.
Kelly went by the nickname "Mac Daddy" & Smith's was "Daddy Mac."
They were best known for the 1992 hit "Jump" on their debut album "Totally Krossed Out" and their penchant for wearing their clothes
backwards. "Jump" rode the No.1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks, and that same year, the teens toured Europe as part of Michael Jackson's "Dangerous" world tour. Although they would go on to release two more albums, they would never again reach the heights of "Jump."
Kris Kross in 1992. (Getty Images file)
The duo also had a video game (ranked one of the 20 worst of all time by Electronic Gaming Monthly) and recorded a rap song for the cartoon "Rugrats." They appeared on the "Cosby Show" spinoff "A Different World" also the 1993 hip-hop comedy film "Who's the Man?"
In February, Kris Kross performed together once more, performing at the 20th anniversary party for So So Def Recordings, Dupri's Atlanta record label. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted that the two were "all grown up and wearing clothes the right way."
Kelly's mother, Donna Kelly Pratte, and record label So So Def released this statement:
"It is with deep sadness that we announce that our beloved Chris Kelly has passed away on May 1. To millions of fans worldwide, he was the trendsetting, backwards pants-wearing one-half of Kris Kross who loved making music. But to us, he was just Chris -- the kind, generous and fun-loving life of the party. Though he was only with us a short time, we feel blessed to have been able to share some incredible moments with him. His legacy will live on through his music, and we will forever love him."
Chris Smith issued his own statement, grieving over the loss of his one-time bandmate.
"Chris Kelly was my Best Friend," the rapper said in a statement, reported by E! Online. "He was like a brother. I love him and will miss him dearly.
"Our friendship began as little boys in first grade. We grew up together. It was a blessing to achieve the success, travel the world and entertain Kris Kross fans all around the world with my best friend," he continued. "It is what we wanted to do and what brought us happiness. I will always cherish the memories of the C-Connection."
On Wednesday night, rapper LL Cool J tweeted a link to his new song, "Jump On It," with the words, "R.I.P Chris Kelly. This song is now officially dedicated to you. May GOD embrace your soul & lift up your family."
Kriss Kross were just aged 12 and 13 when they recorded their first song.
It remained at number one in the US for eight weeks, selling four million copies.
In an interview reprinted on the Billboard website, Dupri remembered the pair being "real fresh" when he first met them.
"People were paying attention. I said, 'If you have that captivation over people right now, if you had a record out, this might be ridiculous.'"
Kris Kross went on to release their multi-platinum debut album, Totally Krossed Out, and subsequently toured with Michael Jackson.
But though they had some success with hits such as Warm It Up and Tonite's tha Night, they were never able to match the huge success of their first song.
Kris Kross released two more albums in the 1990s before Kelly and Smith went their separate ways.
In 2009 reports surfaced that Kelly had cancer. But the singer denied he was ill, claiming he had suffered hair loss because of alopecia.
"My health is good," he said in a TV interview at the time.
Kris Kross At The So So Def 20th Anniversary Concert 2013, The Last
Show Together!! (RIP)
Leslie Tookes, a CNN project coordinator, lived next door to Kelly. Like others, she too was saddened by his untimely death. We often heard him playing classical music and the piano," Tookes said. "He was a low-key type of person who was very talented and courteous, friendly and wonderful to our 5-year-old twins.
Rapper Da Brat, who also performed that night, wrote about Kelly's death, " REST IN PEACE TO MY LIL BRO CHRIS KELLY OF KRIS KROSS. Dam wasn't we JUST at rehearsal and doin a So So Def20 show?"
biggabreakfast.blogspot.com. ...Please leave your comments and condolences below….
*Rapper's mother told authorities her son had a history of drug abuse after Kelly was found dead in Atlanta on Wednesday
Kelly was discovered unresponsive in his Atlanta home
and pronounced dead at Atlanta Medical Center shortly after 5:30 p.m. local time, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner. Authorities completed a physical examination of Kelly's body and a toxicology screening was being done to determine cause of death, said Betty Honey of the Fulton County medical examiner's office..
Kelly and fellow Kris Kross member Chris Smith were just 13 in 1991 when they were famously discovered at Atlanta's Greenbriar Mall by well-known rapper and producer Jermaine Dupri, who was just 19 himself.
Kelly went by the nickname "Mac Daddy" & Smith's was "Daddy Mac."
They were best known for the 1992 hit "Jump" on their debut album "Totally Krossed Out" and their penchant for wearing their clothes
backwards. "Jump" rode the No.1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks, and that same year, the teens toured Europe as part of Michael Jackson's "Dangerous" world tour. Although they would go on to release two more albums, they would never again reach the heights of "Jump."Kris Kross in 1992. (Getty Images file) The duo also had a video game (ranked one of the 20 worst of all time by Electronic Gaming Monthly) and recorded a rap song for the cartoon "Rugrats." They appeared on the "Cosby Show" spinoff "A Different World" also the 1993 hip-hop comedy film "Who's the Man?"
Kelly's mother, Donna Kelly Pratte, and record label So So Def released this statement:
"It is with deep sadness that we announce that our beloved Chris Kelly has passed away on May 1. To millions of fans worldwide, he was the trendsetting, backwards pants-wearing one-half of Kris Kross who loved making music. But to us, he was just Chris -- the kind, generous and fun-loving life of the party. Though he was only with us a short time, we feel blessed to have been able to share some incredible moments with him. His legacy will live on through his music, and we will forever love him."
Chris Smith issued his own statement, grieving over the loss of his one-time bandmate.
"Chris Kelly was my Best Friend," the rapper said in a statement, reported by E! Online. "He was like a brother. I love him and will miss him dearly.
"Our friendship began as little boys in first grade. We grew up together. It was a blessing to achieve the success, travel the world and entertain Kris Kross fans all around the world with my best friend," he continued. "It is what we wanted to do and what brought us happiness. I will always cherish the memories of the C-Connection."
On Wednesday night, rapper LL Cool J tweeted a link to his new song, "Jump On It," with the words, "R.I.P Chris Kelly. This song is now officially dedicated to you. May GOD embrace your soul & lift up your family."
Kriss Kross were just aged 12 and 13 when they recorded their first song.
The song was released in February 1992 as a single and was on their album Totally Krossed Out.
Watch the video of the song below...
Written by Grammy-winning producer Jermaine Dupri, the single topped the charts in the US and reached number two in the UK in May 1992. Watch the video of the song below...
It remained at number one in the US for eight weeks, selling four million copies.
In an interview reprinted on the Billboard website, Dupri remembered the pair being "real fresh" when he first met them.
"People were paying attention. I said, 'If you have that captivation over people right now, if you had a record out, this might be ridiculous.'"
Kris Kross went on to release their multi-platinum debut album, Totally Krossed Out, and subsequently toured with Michael Jackson.
But though they had some success with hits such as Warm It Up and Tonite's tha Night, they were never able to match the huge success of their first song.
Kris Kross released two more albums in the 1990s before Kelly and Smith went their separate ways.
In 2009 reports surfaced that Kelly had cancer. But the singer denied he was ill, claiming he had suffered hair loss because of alopecia.
"My health is good," he said in a TV interview at the time.
Kris Kross At The So So Def 20th Anniversary Concert 2013, The Last
Show Together!! (RIP) Leslie Tookes, a CNN project coordinator, lived next door to Kelly. Like others, she too was saddened by his untimely death. We often heard him playing classical music and the piano," Tookes said. "He was a low-key type of person who was very talented and courteous, friendly and wonderful to our 5-year-old twins.
Rapper Da Brat, who also performed that night, wrote about Kelly's death, " REST IN PEACE TO MY LIL BRO CHRIS KELLY OF KRIS KROSS. Dam wasn't we JUST at rehearsal and doin a So So Def20 show?"
biggabreakfast.blogspot.com. ...Please leave your comments and condolences below….
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