When it was announced that a member of Kris Kross had died, along with him went a piece of hip-hop’s childhood. Although people claimed they didn’t like Jermaine Dupri‘s tween rap duo, they all listened to the cassette of Kris Kross’ first album “Totally Krossed Out” in the privacy of their homes. It doesn’t matter if you were a thug with a laundry list of offenses, you still practiced those “ups” when “Jump” came on.
In remembrance of Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly, The Urban Daily ranked their five best songs. You might not agree with the ranking, but you most certainly will enjoy the stroll down memory lane.
5. Tonite’s tha Night (1995)
Three years after becoming international superstars, Kris Kross returned to the music scene with 1995 single “Tonite’s tha Night.” Taken off the album “Young, Rich & Dangerous,” the single was well received. The laid back thuggish groove of the track appealed to older audiences while still keeping the tween set interested in the duo. However, the young rap duo was growing up fast and decided to take their music into a more street direction. In doing so, “Young, Rich & Dangerous” was only certified gold compared to their first two projects which mined platinum.
4. Alright (1993)
When it was time to follow-up the massive success of their debut “Totally Krossed Out,” Kris Kross returned to the studio with Jermaine Dupri who wrote and produced this reggae-influenced jam. Although Kris Kross were thought to have a squeaky clean image, they had a little edge to them. In “Alright,” Mac Daddy and Daddy Mack took shots at their then rivals Da Youngstas. Da Youngstas were a rap group who dissed Kris Kross because they didn’t write their own rhymes. Kris Kross shot back, “I didn’t come out wack I came out right, unlike them moles who choose to pass da mic,” which was a reference to their rival’s song “Pass Da Mic.” Damn, if that doesn’t sound like “Don’t worry if I write rhymes, I write checks” the 1993 edition.
3. Warm It Up (1992)
“Warm It Up” was a thumping track that turned out to be the second Top 20 pop hit for the Atlanta tandem. While it didn’t reach the success of “Jump,” this song did help “Totally Krossed Out” go double platinum in a relatively short amount of time. Looking back on it, “Warm It Up” is the joint that forces you to remember a great moment in your childhood that was fleeting. I remember listening to this when my older cousins first got their cars and had to drive me around. They got annoyed any time this got spins. no matter how tired of the song they got, I still let this tape rock until the tape popped. Wait, did anybody ever wonder why they have on heavy winter jackets when they’re on the beach looking at girls in bikinis?
2. I Missed the Bus (1992)
If you were 12 or younger in 1992, your biggest problem was missing the bus to get to school. Since Kris Kross was making music for the young kids, making “I Missed the Bus” was a no brainer. On the song, Kris Kross recount a tale of going to bed because they watched a movie and over sleeping to the point of missing their only ride to school. Once they finally get to school, they rap about the consequences they have to face like teachers not believing their reason for being late and subsequently being kicked out of class. Oh, to be young and carefree again.
1. Jump (1992)
What really needs to be said about “Jump” that hasn’t been already? It was a ubiquitous debut song that had everybody and their mommas jumping around looking crazy all in the name of having fun. Plus, their flows on this was hot. I don’t care. Go on and judge me, but you can’t deny “Don’t try to compare us to another bad little fad. I’m the Mac and I’m bad give you something that you never had.” You know you’ve made it when Justin Timberlake has to learn the lyrics just for a minute-long scene in a romantic comedy.
