Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly, one-half of the 90s rap duo Kris Kross died yesterday.

He was 34.

 

Kelly was found unresponsive and transported to Atlanta Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, a spokeswoman for the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Officer told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Kelly’s death is being investigated as a drug overdose, Fulton County police Cpl. Kay Lester told The AJC. An autopsy is planned for Thursday morning to determine the official cause of death.

An Atlanta native, Kelly and the other half of the duo, Chris Smith, were 13-year-olds when they were discovered at Greenbriar Mall in 1991 by now-famous entertainer and producer Jermaine Dupri. Kris Kross was one of the first acts Dupri signed to his So So Def Records label, and in February, the duo was among many to perform at an anniversary show at the Fox.

This time, neither Chris had their clothes on backward. The duo opened the show, which featured numerous other entertainers.

In a statement released early Thursday, Kelly’s mother, Donna Kelly Pratte, and the So So Def Family said the singer’s legacy will live on through his music. The statement read: “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.”

Read more at the AJC.

 

Our thoughts and condolences go out to his friends and family.