If you remember Kriss Kross, the early 1990’s rap group, you might be wondering what ever happened to them. Information on the goup’s two members, Chris Kelly and Chris Smith, is sparse, but here’s what I’ve been able to dig up:
What Ever Happened to Kriss Kross?
When the two Chrises were about fourteen years old, they had their first success with the album called “Totally Krossed Out,” which went quadruple platinum and featured the #1 hit “Jump.” This success was followed by the slightly less successful (but still platinum) album, “Da Bomb,” and finally the much less successful (gold) album, “Young, Rich & Dangerous.” [Source: “Kris Kross – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 25 Dec. 2009. .]
After that final album release in 1996, I do not remember ever hearing about Kriss Kross again. But the two backwards-pants-wearing singers were still in their mid-teens. What happened to them?
What Ever Happened to Chris Kelly?
In February of 2009, ConcreteLoop.com posted pictures of Chris Kelly, of Kriss Kross fame, in his hometown of Atlanta, still wearing his pants backwards, but with unkempt hair and unusual bald spots: http://concreteloop.com/2009/02/spotted-former-kris-kross-member-in-atl. [Source: “SPOTTED: FORMER KRIS KROSS MEMBER IN ATL,” CONCRETELOOP.COM. Web. 25 Dec. 2009. .]
In response to the posting of these photos, Chris Kelly appeared in a YouTube video later in February of 2009, which you can find posted at Wandaphullworld.com: http://wandaphullworld.com/2009/02/24/kris-kross-chris-kelly-speak-chris-smith-update/. “KRIS KROSS: CHRIS KELLY SPEAK & CHRIS SMITH UPDATE…. « “WandaPhull World”.” “WandaPhull World”. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Dec. 2009. .
In the video, Kelly explains that he has a medical condition that causes bald spots, but is otherwise in good health. He goes on to say that he is going to school to be an engineer, and working on some music with other artists. Impressively, Kelly does not posture or attempt to impress anyone; he is frank about where he is and what he is doing in his life.
What Ever Happened to Chris Smith?
The Wandaphullworld.com site also features a 2007 picture of Chris Smith: http://wandaphullworld.com/2009/02/24/kris-kross-chris-kelly-speak-chris-smith-update/.
Chris Smith is one of the featured “Artists” at OneLifeEntertainment.com. The short biography on that website refers to a track called “Lady” released by Chris Smith in honor of women. [Source: “One Life Entertainment, Inc.,” One Life Entertainment, Inc. Web. 25 Dec. 2009. .]
So That’s What Happened to Kriss Kross
The two Chrises of Kriss Kross will never be the young hip-hop stars they were in the early nineties, but they are both still making music and seem to relatively happy. Cheers to them both for not hogging the spotlight the way many former child stars do.
Sources
“Kris Kross – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 25 Dec. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris_Kross.
“KRIS KROSS: CHRIS KELLY SPEAK & CHRIS SMITH UPDATE…. « “WandaPhull World”.” “WandaPhull World”. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Dec. 2009. http://wandaphullworld.com/2009/02/24/kris-kross-chris-kelly-speak-chris-smith-update/.
“One Life Entertainment, Inc.,” One Life Entertainment, Inc. Web. 25 Dec. 2009. .]
“SPOTTED: FORMER KRIS KROSS MEMBER IN ATL,” CONCRETELOOP.COM. Web. 25 Dec. 2009. .]
