Chris Kelly aka Mac Daddy of Kriss Kross dead at age 34

One half of the "Kriss" in the old school hip hop group Kriss Kross has died.  Chris Kelly aka Mac Daddy, was found dead last night in his Atlanta home.  He was unresponsive & the cause of death is yet to be determined.  An autopsy will be performed today.Signed to Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label in 1992, Kriss Kross burst onto the young hip hop scene consisting of the 13 year old duo Chris Kelly aka Mac Daddy & Chris Smith aka Daddy Mac. Dupri discovered the boys in an ATL mall in 1992 & quickly turned them into an overnight sensation with their huge hit "Jump" off of their 1992 album Totally Krossed Out. The lyrics are forever imbedded in my repertoire "jump jump, the Mac Daddy will make ya jump jump, Daddy Mac will make ya jump jump , Kriss Kross will make ya jump jump".

In 1992 I was in my second year of radio at my college station at Siena College & recall playing the boys infectious hit many many times.  Kriss Kross had a style all their own wearing their clothes baggy & backwards. Yes, that's right backwards. Not inside out but the jeans were turned around with the zipper in the back. Many boys who imitated Kriss Kross had many issues with this, especially in the lavatory. But in Hip Hop, the fashion, music & dance moves all are part of the culture.

I had the pleasure of meeting Kriss Kross way back then when they came to Loudonville & still have the glossy of their head shots with their autographs. (I am either a groupie or a hoarder, hopefully the latter of the two).

As many groups of the day back in the 90's, longevity was not upon them. They had subsequent hits such as "Warm it Up", "Alright" "I Missed the Bus" & "Tonight's the Night" with two more albums, Da Bomb in 1993 & Young, Rich & Dangerous in 1996 that paled in comparison to the debut album.  The group even toured with the late Michael Jackson & starred in their own video game. Unfortunately, as with most child stars, the transition into being an adult artist or actor can be rough.  Many suffer from depression & addiction.

The group recently reunited for their 20th anniversary this past February for So So Def's All-Star 20th Anniversary Concert at The Fox Theater in Atlanta. And no, they didn't wear their clothes backwards.

R.I.P. Mac Daddy