By Hardcore Critic
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
One thing everyone can agree on is this, nobody wants to die, but at the same time, few think about living forever. Scientific studies show there is no true answer for death, but it equates the end to everything known to life. As life progresses, people are dealt with those around them dying and it is a tough pill to swallow.
A few hours ago, hip hop received another major shock. Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly, best-known for his part in Kriss Kross, died at the age of thirty-four. Once again, everyone is reminded of how short life is and how it is over quicker than it started. But, looking back on life as those who live on do, see it is a celebration and that is surely the case with Kriss Kross.
In addition to putting Jermaine Dupri and So So Def on the map, Kriss Kross provided very entertaining music. The two young men, Chris Kelly and Chris Smith, burst onto the scene with their “Jump” single, which topped the charts. Inspired by the West Coast G-funk sound of the time, it propelled their debut album, Totally Krossed Out.
Eventually going triple platinum, Kriss Kross proved to be more than a one hit wonder. At the very least the duo was a fad and they enjoyed more hit singles and two more albums over the next four years. Along the way, Kriss Kross even starred in Michael Jackson’s music video for “Jam.” Kriss Kross would never see platinum status again, but they did enjoy two more gold-selling albums and two compilation albums.
Before completely fading out of the spotlight, Kriss Kross did “The Rugrats Rap” in 1994. Jermaine Dupri went all out back in February and he featured Kriss Kross, along with the rest of the old So So Def roster at the twentieth anniversary celebration in Atlanta. Both of the Kriss Kross members were there and they performed their old hits, getting the crowed hyped. Now, the two-man group is one man down, forever.
Rest in peace, Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly.
Reflect on Kriss Kross over the years below:
Watch Kriss Kross in Michael Jackson’s “Jam” music video below:
Totally Krossed Out (1992)
It all started for Kriss Kross, music-wise, when they released Totally Krossed Out in March 1992. A little over twenty-one years have passed since this album was released. Eventually going triple platinum, Totally Crossed Out featured the chart-topping hit single, “Jump,” along with “Warm it Up,” “I Missed the Bus,” and “It’s a Shame.”
Watch “Jump” by Kriss Kross below:
Watch “Warm it Up” by Kriss Kross below:
Watch “I Missed the Bus” by Kriss Kross below:
Watch “It’s a Shame” by Kriss Kross below:
Following the success of Totally Krossed Out, Kriss Kross transitioned into mainstream urban media. The two Chrises appeared on “A Different World” and “In Living Color” during the spring of 1992. Their popularity was so high, they even had their own video game for the Sega Genesis, Kriss Kross: Make My Video. Run-DMC featured them in their “Down with the King” music video and TLC featured them in their “Hat 2 Da Back” music video.
Watch Kriss Kross on “A Different World” below:
Watch Kriss Kross on “In Living Color” below:
Watch Kriss Kross on BET’s “Teen Summit” below:
Watch the Kriss Kross: Make My Video demo below:
Watch Kriss Kross in Run-DMC’s “Down with the King” music video below:
Watch Kriss Kross in TLC’s “Hat 2 Da Back” music video below:
Da Bomb (1993)
After whirlwind success in 1992, Kriss Kross was pushed right back out there by their label in 1993 and they released Da Bomb late in the summer of 1993. Though the album lacked the commercial success of their debut, Kriss Kross remained a household name in the game. The two kept their run going and they scored yet another hit in the form of “Alright.” In the end, they would release three singles off the album with “I’m Real,” which sampled Snoop Dogg off Dr. Dre’s “Nuthin But a G Thang,” and “Da Bomb” with Da Brat being the other two singles. This would be the final album from Kriss Kross for the next few years.
Watch “Alright” by Kriss Kross below:
Watch “I’m Real” by Kriss Kross below:
Watch “Da Bomb” by Kriss Kross ft. Da Brat below:
Taking some time away from releasing new albums, Kriss Kross appeared in the Who’s the Man? film and they also did the “Rugrats Rap” for Nickelodeon.
Watch Kriss Kross in Who’s the Man below:
Watch “Rugrats Rap” by Kriss Kross below:
Young, Rich, & Dangerous (1996)
Three years stood between album releases for Kriss Kross and they returned early in 1996 with their Young, Rich, & Dangerous album, which proved to be their last album of original material. On this album, the two appeared as if they were ready to shed their child-friendly image and display their adult style and sound, which is tough for child stars to do. Young, Rich, & Dangerous proved to be the last call for Kriss Kross on the mainstream level as stars, yet the album still managed to certify gold. In 1995, Kriss Kross released the first single, “Tonight’s da Night” and the second/final single off the album came in 1996 with “Live and Die For Hip Hop.”
Watch “Tonight’s da Night (remix)” by Kriss Kross ft. Redman below:
Watch “Live and Die For Hip Hop” by Kriss Kross below:
With the exception of a few greatest hits albums and, of course, the dreaded “Where Are They Now” internet discussions, Kriss Kross played the background role in recent years. Before his death, Chris Kelly was working on his own independent record label and had his own roster of talent. As recent as three months ago, Kriss Kross reunited in Atlanta for Jermaine Dupri’s twentieth anniversary for So So Def, where they performed “Jump,” among their other hits.
Watch Kriss Kross’ performance at So So Def’s 20th anniversary below:
