Kris Kross
Kris Kross was an American hip hop duo, consisting of Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly and Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith.
This article is about the hip-hop duo. For other artists with a similar name, see Chris Cross (disambiguation).Kris Kross
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
- 1990–2002
- 2007–2013
- Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly (deceased)
- Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith
Kris Kross was the youngest hip-hop duo to gain success, with gold and platinum albums at 12 and 13 years old. The duo was discovered by Jermaine Dupri in 1991 and hit worldwide status the following year with their smash hit debut single, "Jump", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks and was certified double platinum as a single. They went on to release three studio albums, with their debut album Totally Krossed Out topping the US Billboard 200, and their following albums, Da Bomb and Young, Rich & Dangerous making it into the Top 20. The duo were also noted for their signature fashion style of wearing their clothes backwards.
Chris Kelly died of a drug overdose on May 1, 2013.[1]
Death of Chris Kelly[edit]
On April 29, 2013, Chris Kelly was found unconscious in his Atlanta home and taken to the hospital.[22] Two days later, on May 1, he was pronounced dead around 5 p.m. on the south campus of the Atlanta Medical Center; he was 34 years old. Apparently one day before he was found unconscious, he filmed himself rapping in his home.[23][24] According to the police report documents, Kelly had been brought home to recover from his drug use, as he had done several times in the past. His uncle told police that Kelly "had an extensive history of drug abuse."[25][26]
The following day, Dupri tweeted a "letter to fans", in which he referred to Kelly as "a son that I never had", and praised Kelly as an artist. Chris Smith wrote, "Chris Kelly was my Best Friend. 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. It is what we wanted to do and what brought us happiness. I will always cherish the memories of the C-Connection."[27]
Numerous other artists and fans publicly acknowledged Kelly's death, some citing Kris Kross or Kelly as their inspiration or their reason for entering the music industry. On July 1, a toxicology report was released stating that Kelly died from a drug overdose. According to the Fulton County Medical Examiner Office, the toxicology screening showed that Kelly had a mixture of drugs in his system, including heroin and cocaine.[28]