The Ups And Downs Of Kris Kross' Musical Career

The 13-year-old rap duo released "Jump" in 1992. It was an instant hit, but the group struggled to reach the same success afterward. On Wednesday, one-half of the duo, Chris Kelly, died in Atlanta at 34.

Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly and Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith were discovered by Jermaine Dupri, when he was 19, at a mall in their hometown Atlanta in 1991.

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Jermaine Dupri produced and wrote all the songs on Totally Krossed Out, the duo's first album.

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He also convinced the boys to wear their clothes backwards.

"Jump" was released in 1992 and spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

"Jump" sampled the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back." It became the fastest-selling single in 15 years.

"Warm It Up" was the follow-up to "Jump" and it also went gold.

Kris Kross were so big that they went on tour to Europe with Michael Jackson.

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They even made a cameo in Michael Jackson's "Jam."

Kris Kross also appeared in TLC's "Hat 2 Da Back."

There was even a video game made that allowed players to control the duo's music videos.

It was ranked 18th worst video game on Electronic Gaming Monthly's list of the "20 Worst Games of All Time."

In 1993, the follow-up album Da Bomb was dropped.

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The boys' voices were noticeably deeper and they tried to project a tougher image, but the album failed to go platinum by the end of the year.

Although, "Alright" off of Da Bomb did go gold.

Kris Kross also recorded the "Rugrats rap" for Nickelodeon, which was released on VHS in 1994.

Kris Kross took some time off and returned in 1996 with Young, Rich and Dangerous.

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The album continued the duo's attempt to be tougher.

The album featured the rap ballad "Tonite's tha Night."

The duo separated after the failure of Young, Rich and Dangerous and never made another studio album together.

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But on Feb. 23, 2013, Kris Kross reunited and performed "Warm It Up," "Jump," and "Live and Die for Hip-Hop."

The rap duo reunited for the So So Def Anniversary All Star Concert, which was a 20th anniversary celebration of Jermaine Dupri's label.

Chris Kelly was pronounced dead in Atlanta on May 1, 2013.

Breaking News @BreakingNews

Rapper Chris Kelly of 'Kris Kross' found dead at age 34 in his home - @11alive http://t.co/fvCvoBZ0sq

Thu, 02 May 2013 02:10:44 +0000

Rapper Chris Kelly of 'Kris Kross' found dead at age 34 in his home - @11alive http://t.co/fvCvoBZ0sq-- Breaking News

Statement from Donna Kelly Pratte (mother) & The So So Def Family regarding the passing of Chris Kelly:

"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."