The music world is in mourning this morning after news broke of the death of Chris Kelly, half of the ‘90s duo Kris Kross. His mother, Donna Kelly Pratte, released a statement today remembering her 34-year-old son as the “life of the party.”
People reports that Pratte and the group’s former record label, So So Def, issued a statement that read, “It is with deep sadness that we announce that our beloved Chris Kelly has passed away on May 1.”
The statement continued, “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.”
Kelly died Wednesday afternoon. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that he was found unconscious in his Atlanta area home. He was pronounced dead at Atlanta Medical Center and officials confirmed that it is being investigated as a drug overdose. An autopsy is set for today.
Kris Kross included Kelly and Chris Smith, who were both 13 when the track “Jump” became a hit.
This morning, Kelly is being remembered by the music community on Twitter. Diddy wrote, “RIP Chris Kelly,” while Ludacris added, “One of my motivations as a kid to even get into the rap game. You will be missed. R.I.P. Chris Kelly.” So So Def's Twitter page is also retweeting messages from artists.
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