Jermaine Dupri on Kris Kross' Chris Kelly: "He Was a Son I Never Had"
One day after the death of Kris Kross member Chris Kelly, So So Def founder and the group's producer and mentor Jermaine Dupri wrote a heartfelt tribute to the rapper on his Global 14 social networking site.
Letter to the fans:
To the world, Chris was Mac Daddy, but to me, he was a son I never had. As much as you may think I taught him, he taught me. God has blessed me to be in the presence of so many naturally talented people, and Chris was one. His understanding of what we set out to do, from day one, was always on point.
His passion for the music, his love for doing shows, his want to [be] better than everyone else, was always turnt up. When I think about it, I spent more time with Chris and Chris than damn near anybody in my whole life. So you can imagine how bad this hurts.
I will always love you, Chris and I will never let the world forget you. May God bless your soul.
Dupri discovered the pair in 1991 at an Atlanta mall. His production and career guidance would help their 1992 debut Totally Krossed Out sell more than 4 million copies and spawn the ubiquitous hits "Jump," "Warm It Up" and "I Missed the Bus." Two subsequent albums, 1993's Da Bomb and 1996's Young, Rich and Dangerous, were released before the group broke up.
The pair reunited on stage earlier this year at So So Def's 20th Anniversary concert.
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