Chris Kelly, one half member of 90s Hip-Hop Kris Kross, died today (May 1) at the age of 34. He passed away at an Atlanta hospital after being found unresponsive at his Atlanta home, the Fulton County medical examiner’s office told CNN. The cause of death is currently unknown but an autopsy is planned for Thursday morning.
The duo, discovered by Jermaine Dupri was best known for their huge hits ‘Jump‘ & ‘Warm It Up‘ and of course, influencing urban culture with their style of wearing clothes backwards. Their last major performance was at the So So Def 20th Anniversary show in Atlanta in February. Rest in peace.
UPDATE: Chris’ mother and So So Def have released a joint statement.
UPDATE 2: Jermaine Dupri remembers Chris in open letter.
UPDATE 3: His mother has told authorities that Chris became sick after taking cocaine and heroin on the night before he died. He is suspected to have died from drug overdose.
“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.”
— Donna Kelly Pratte (mother) & The So So Def Family
Discussion about this post