Rapper Overdose: Kriss Kross Star Chris Kelly Had Drugs in His System

Rapper Chris Kelly died of a drug overdose, a medical office investigator said Monday of the rapper from the '90s duo Kriss Kross, according to The Associated Press.

The rapper, 34, had a mixture of drugs in his system when he was pronounced dead on May 1, a toxicology screening revealed, according to the Betty Honey of the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office in Atlanta.

Urgent: Supreme Court Right on Gay Marriage? Vote Here Now

Paramedics found Chris Kelly unresponsive on a living room couch at his Atlanta home and tried to resuscitate the rapper. Kelly, known as ‘‘Mac Daddy,’’ was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Honey said she did not know which specific drugs Kelly had used before his death. However, a police report from the night of Kelly’s death said his mother told investigators her son used cocaine and heroin the night before he died and had a history of drug abuse.

Kriss Kross was introduced to the music world in 1992 by music producer and rapper Jermaine Dupri after he discovered the pair at a mall in southwest Atlanta. Kelly performed alongside Chris Smith, who was known as ‘‘Daddy Mac.’’ Kriss Kross wore their clothes backward as a gimmick, but they won over fans with their raps.

The rap duo's first and most successful song was the 1992 hit ‘‘Jump,’’ which became a chart-topper in the United States and around the world. Kriss Kross was never able to match the tremendous success of their first song, though they had other hits like ‘‘Warm It Up’’ and ‘‘Tonite’s tha Night.’’

At a memorial ceremony for Chris Kelly in early May, his uncle, Lemar Williams, said Kelly showed a love for music from an early age and mimicked Michael Jackson’s dance moves. Williams said Chris Kelly loved Atlanta and never wanted to live anywhere else.

Williams said the rapper was planning to make a comeback.

Kriss Kross performed in Atlanta earlier this year to celebrate the anniversary of Dupri’s record label So So Def.

Editor's Note: Get the Navy SEALs Cap – Celebrate Our Heroes

Related stories:

'Yeezus,' Kanye West's New Album, Fuels Criticism of Rapper

Robinson Cano, Jay-Z Ink Deal To Kick Off Rapper's Sports Agency