The funeral Of Chris Kelly, from Kross Kross, was emotional and heartbreaking.  His sidekick from Kriss Kross, Chris Smith, made a speech for his friend at the Jackson Baptist Memorial Church in Atlanta, while Kelly's mother wept throughout the service.

Chris Kelly's best friend and Kriss Kross partner said "It's been a struggle for me every day, but there was a peace that came over me this morning because I know he's in heaven. We had so many memories," Smith continued. "He was a true friend. He wanted to see if I was all right. So I just want to say I love you, man, and I'll miss you."

Smith struggled to get the words out in front of some 300 friends, family and fellow entertainers including Jermaine Dupri who called Kelly "The son he never had."

Kelly's mother, Donna Kelly Pratte, continuously wept while she stared at her son's casket.

"Please don't close it," she screamed at the casket. "Please don't close it on my baby."

The funeral was at 2pm yesterday at the Jackson Baptist Memorial Church. Attendees to the Kelly funeral sported their church attire backwards, in honor of Chris's 90's signature style.

Members of the band Xscape, sisters LaTocha and Tamika Scott, arrived together for Kelly's funeral.

"He just wanted to smile. That's all he wanted," Tamika Scott said. "He was known to be a happy person."

Rapper Da Brat attempted to speak to reporters when she arrived, but was overcome with grief as she walked into the church.

"He will be very missed, especially within our family," Chris's uncle Lemar Williams said to reporters. "To the world he was Kris Kross, but to us he was just Chris."

Atlanta-area authorities are investigating the death of Chris Kelly but it looks like Kelly's death was due to a drug overdose.

Kelly, famous in the 1990's for being half of the rap duo Kriss Kross, died at 34 last Wednesday at an Atlanta hospital after he was found unresponsive at his home.

After paramedics took him to the hospital, a woman who identified herself as Kelly's friend told an investigator that Kelly had taken a mixture of heroin and cocaine Tuesday night, and that she had brought Kelly home "to recover from his drug use," but it didn't work.

Kelly's mom was also aware of 'Kriss Kross' Kelly's substance abuse problem, and said she has dealt with his "speedball", the combo of heroin and cocaine, addiction many times before and it was likely the cause of death.

An autopsy performed last Thursday showed no signs of trauma or foul play in Chris Kelly's death.

A toxicology report is expected to be complete in two to three weeks, at which point, a cause of death will be officially determined.

Police rushed to Kelly's Atlanta home after his cousin called 911. Chris Kelly was then taken to Atlanta Medical Centre where he was pronounced dead.

Kelly, known as Mac Daddy, performed alongside Chris Smith, known as Daddy Mac, in the early and mid-90s and became a rapping sensation. Kriss Kross blew up in America and blared out of every boom box during that era.

The duo's hit song, "Jump", from their 1992 debut album, Totally Krossed Out, helped propel the young rap duo to stardom. Four million copies were sold in the US (I had one!). Their annoyingly catchy anthem topped the Billboard chart for eight weeks. The "Jump" music video became number one on MTV and sold over 100,000 copies as a VHS video single. You couldn't escape the the success of the rap hit.  People were "jumping" everywhere. 

Kriss Kross also became known for their original style... wearing their clothes back to front. Every young boy in America copied the ridiculous fashion. Wearing your clothes backwards was the thing to do.

Jermaine Dupri, husband of Janet Jackson, who helped them record their hit debut album after discovering the young rap duo in a mall, was distraught over the news.

Dupri wrote an emotional letter Thursday to his fans detailing his close relationship with Chris. Dupri wrote, "I will always love you chris, and I will never let the world forget you, may god bless your soul."

In 1992, the talented pair landed a spot on Michael Jackson's 'Dangerous' World Tour and in the same year they earned a cameo appearance in Michael's "Jam" music video.

Kriss Kross's second and third album also went platinum and gold, respectively, although it did not achieve the success of their first album. Their fans had hit puberty and no longer wanted to wear their clothes backwards.  The teenage fans wanted a tougher rap team to listen to. 

A joint statement was released by So So Def and Kelly's mother, Donna Kelly Pratte, paying tribute to the "kind, generous and fun-loving star."

The statement read:

"It is with deep sadness that we announce that our beloved Chris Kelly has passed away on May 1.

"To millions of fans worldwide, he was the trend-setting, backward pants-wearing one-half of Kris Kross, who loved making music. But to us, he was just Chris - the kind, generous and fun-loving life of the party.

"Though he was only with us a short time, we feel blessed to have been able to share some incredible moments with him. His legacy will live on through his music."

Twitter was flooded with condolences from celebrities and friends of the rapper and many fans said they'd wear their clothes backwards in his honor.

LL Cool J dedicated a song to the departed rapper, tweeting, "R.I.P Chris Kelly. This song is now officially dedicated to you. May GOD embrace your soul & lift up your family."

Th is is determined to get stuck in your head! JUMP!