R.I.P Chris Kelly From Kris Kross

Chris Kelly, when you’re first song “Jump” dropped in 1992, I admit I wasn’t a fan. At the time I, and I’m sure many of the so called “real Hip Hop” fans out there considered the track a pop commodity; the way you and your Kris Kross partner, Chris Smith wore your clothes only added to our ire. But then something happened.

Jump hit the year I graduated high school and I was all gun-ho bout “keepin’ it real.” Thing is within two months I was interning at D&D Studios one of the biggest studios in New York, which as it turns out was a mecca for the most really real artists in Hip Hop. Biggie, Mobb Deep, Gangstarr, you name it, they walked through those hallowed halls. And guess what, when I would go to a party whether associated with these artists or simply on my own and Jump would come on, you know what would happen? People didn’t leave the dance floor en masse out of disgust or boycott the DJ for being commercial. If anyone did in fact snicker well, they could not be heard, because when your song came on the crowd enthusiastically did exactly what it called for them to do, they jumped, and the roar of energy simply drowned out all that nonsense.

Till this day, the one beef I have against the purists out there who adamantly argue for the “purity” of their genre of choice and against any commercialization whatsoever, is that they lose site of what is important, they get carried away with their zest for “realness” and end up throwing the baby out with the bath water. Your track was one of the first to make me realize what a waste of brain space and emotional energy such hate really is. I thank you for that.

Needless to say, the song went multi-platinum, Kris Kross became a commercial success, traveled the world, shared the stage with Michael Jackson, and much much more. More importantly I, along with many other so called fans of “real Hip Hop” became fans of yours. I have the vinyl and the MP3, and when it comes on in the clubs to this day, I jump like the truest fan you ever had. I can honestly say on this day, I am sad to see you go.

God Bless you and our deepest condolences to the Kelly family.