34-year-old rapper, Chris Kelly, from the 1990s teen rap group Kriss
Kross died on May 1. 2013 of a drug overdose. This marks the fourth
major Sony Music artist to die under tragic circumstances over the past
few years (Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Left Eye). Kelly took a
fatal combo of cocaine and heroin, known as speedball (or speedballing).
He has gone the way of so many child stars before him, turning to drugs
and alcohol to mask the pain of his fallen career. Kris Kross only had
one successful album "Totally Krossed Out." The subsequent
follow up flopped on the charts, as producer and industry conman,
Jermaine Dupri tried to make them over into teenage gangsta rappers.
Kris Kross in the 1992
A video has surfaced of Kelly, showing him 48 hours before his
death, high on cocaine and heroin, in a state of psychosis, struggling
to rap to a song playing in his home. TMZ describes the video as,
"Hours before his death, a drugged out Chris Kelly attempted to
rap ... and spit out lyrics about a room full of dead bodies ... and
TMZ has the sad footage."
Kris Kross in 2013
Kelly’s lips and skin betray the signs of heroin use. He had the
appearance of someone who’s health was fading. On the tape he is
surrounded by friends who are also high and drunk. Before the release
of the tape, another of his friends, stylist Lisa Pope, complained to
the press that Kelly had surrounded himself with a set of negative
friends, who brought about his demise.
Kris Kross with labelmate Michael Jackson
It’s quite cliché. How many times over the past few years has the
Judiciary Report repeatedly warned people to beware of the company you
keep. Good friends will watch out for you, tell you the truth when you
are wrong, discourage you from taking a negative path in life and not
use you (for money or fame). Bad friends will give you the wrong advice
and bring vices into your life (pay attention Justin Bieber).
Jermaine Dupri and his dad Michael Mauldin
My family and I are very familiar with the business practices of
Kris Kross’ former management, ERI, who maintained an office in Miami
in the 1990s, run by Dupri’s dad, Michael Mauldin, who is another con
artist and thief. While Mauldin cheated on his wife with Tamar Braxton
in exchange for career favors, Dupri kept targeting Xscape’s Kandi
Burruss for sexual favors or he would not give the group good songs,
marketing, promotion and publicity. And so, she gave in.
Tamar Braxton
Dupri and co were also constantly sued in unrelated legal actions
for copyright infringement in criminally stealing preexisting works
registered with the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. They’d
steal from anybody - even kids. Dupri even stole from songwriters he
signed, talking credit and payment for their work (which later resulted
in lawsuits).
Kandi Burrus
That whole empire came crashing down due to being built on
corruption, fraud, theft and extortion, as they lost their label,
management company, restaurant and recording studio due to bad business
dealings they engaged in all over the South. They are known in the
industry for being shady. It’s apart of why Janet Jackson dumped
Dupri and married another man.
Kandi Burrus in the R&B girl group Xscape
(also feautring Tiny, TI's wife)
I’m not surprised that whole thing collapsed, as the illegal
things that went on behind the scenes of Kris Kross’ career spilled
over into their actual lives and sent them down the wrong path. Now
Kelly is dead. 34 is young and too young to die. However, Hollywood has
never been particularly kind to child stars, with so many of them dying
young after being chewed up by the system.
STORY SOURCE
Chris Kelly Tragic LAST VIDEO Drugged Out Rap
Session
5/6/2013 1:00 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF - Hours before his death, a
drugged out Chris Kelly attempted to rap ... and spit out lyrics about
a room full of dead bodies ... and TMZ has the sad footage. The video
-- shot in Kelly's Atlanta home around 7:00 AM on May 1 -- is a window
into the life of a drug addict. There's crap strewn all over the house
... and several seemingly drugged out people just hanging out.
One of Kelly's guests -- who also seems inebriated -- pulls out a
camera and begins to record as a discombobulated Kelly struggles to rap
along with music pumping through the speakers. We're told the song is a
track Kelly had been working on recently -- and includes the lyric,
"We don’t stop, for nothing or nobody … look around you it's
full of dead bodies."...
