It's not surprising, but it's official ... Kris Kross rapper Chris Kelly died from a drug overdose.
An investigator from the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office in Atlanta said a toxicology screening showed the 34-year-old died with a fatal mixture of drugs in his system.
The investigator didn't specify which drugs, but as we reported, Chris' mother told police the rapper had been doing cocaine and heroin the night before he died on May 1st.
The video TMZ posted -- showing a wasted Chris trying to rap just hours before his death -- appears to back up the Medical Examiner's findings.
In addition to the footage, Kelly also had a long history of drug abuse.
The rumors were true ... Jermaine Dupri DID wear his pants backwards to Chris Kelly's funeral today as a tribute to the Kris Kross rapper, and TMZ has the pic.
Dupri discovered Kris Kross performing at a mall when Dupri was only 19 years old. Jermaine signed them to his label and helped grow the rap group into international superstars.
Dupri wasn't the only mourner to rock the backward pants look at the funeral -- Kelly's label mate Da Brat also went reverse trousers.
Dupri didn't speak at today's funeral ceremony -- but Kelly's rap mate Chris Smith delivered an emotional speech ... saying, "I know Chris is in heaven."
Kris Kross rapper Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith broke down in tears today during the funeral for his former KK partner Chris Kelly -- telling the congregation, "It's been like a struggle for me every day ... I know Chris is in heaven."
During the service, which took place at a Baptist church in Atlanta, Smith said, "He was a true friend ... I just wanna say I love you man ... and I'm gonna miss you dearly."
He added, "My life ... it ain't ever gonna be the same, but I just hope our legacy for hip-hop is never forgotten. I'm gonna do my part to make sure Chris' legacy will live on." The funeral was filled with Chris Kelly's famous friends -- including R&B singer Keke Wyatt and the members of Xscape, all of whom performed songs.
Jermaine Dupri and rapper Da Brat were also present. Da Brat was wearing her pants backwards as a tribute to the dead rapper.
As we reported, Chris was pronounced dead last Wednesday after his body was found unresponsive in his Georgia home. His mother told police he'd been doing a mixture of cocaine and heroin the night before, and had an "extensive history of drug use."
Chris Kelly's public wake is under way at a funeral home in Atlanta, GA ... where mourners were greeted with an instrumental version of "Jump" ... TMZ has learned.
Friends and family members have been paying their respects to the Kris Kross rapper at the open-casket event all day long -- while final preparations are made for tomorrow's public funeral.
Although Chris kept faithful to his pants-backward style his entire adult life, his burial trousers were forward ... he was dressed in a black suit, white shirt and pink tie, sporting earrings and a goatee.
We're told Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith and Jermaine Dupri (who discovered Kris Kross) have not arrived to the wake ... yet. Sources tell us Smith is taking Kelly's death especially hard and is still trying to pull himself together.
Inside the casket, on a sign attached to the coffin lid, read the words: "Cause that's what I was born to do ..." lyrics from the Kris Kross hit "Warm It Up."
The casket was flanked by photos of Chris and Daddy Mac in their heyday.
No media were allowed inside, though the viewing was open to the public ... one vehicle rolled up with "Jump" blaring out the windows ... a few local news trucks were parked outside ... but otherwise it's been a quiet affair.
A small group of family and close friends planned to gather later on at Chris's house.
Hours before his death, a drugged out Chris Kelly attempted to rap ... and spit out lyrics about a room full of dead bodies ... and TMZ has the sad footage.
The video -- shot in Kelly's Atlanta home around 7:00 AM on May 1 -- is a window into the life of a drug addict. There's crap strewn all over the house ... and several seemingly drugged out people just hanging out.
One of Kelly's guests -- who also seems inebriated -- pulls out a camera and begins to record as a discombobulated Kelly struggles to rap along with music pumping through the speakers.
We're told the song is a track Kelly had been working on recently -- and includes the lyric, "We don’t stop, for nothing or nobody … look around you it's full of dead bodies."
Hours after the video was shot, someone in Kelly's home called 911 and told officials the Kris Kross rapper passed out and wouldn't wake up. He was pronounced dead around 5:00 PM.
According to the police report obtained by TMZ, Kelly's mother told cops Kelly had been mixing cocaine and heroin the night before he died.
TMZ has obtained the 911 call placed moments after Kris Kross rapper Chris Kelly's unresponsive body was found Wednesday at his Georgia home.
The caller appears to be Chris' mother, but it's not entirely clear.
During the 911 call, the caller tells the dispatcher that Chris is not breathing. The dispatcher then walks her through instructions on how to resuscitate him.
As we reported, police claim Kelly's mother told them her son had taken a combination of heroin and cocaine the day before he died and that he had an "extensive history of drug use." Kelly was 34.
Kris Kross' recent comeback ... and the money that came with it ... put Mac Daddy on a drug-fueled road to self-destruction, sources close to the deceased rapper tell TMZ.
Sources tell us, Mac Daddy -- real name Chris Kelly -- has been on and off drugs (including cocaine and heroin) for the last ten years, but had recently cleaned up his act.
We're told that changed dramatically in recent weeks, following Kris Kross' big comeback concert in Atlanta back in February.
According to sources, Kelly's ego blew up ... along with his wallet ... and he started hanging out in clubs again, chumming up with big name Atlanta rappers. We're told the drugs came back in full force as a result.
As we reported, Kelly's mother told police the rapper had been taking speedballs (coke and heroin mixed together) Tuesday night ... the night before he died ... and cops believe drugs contributed to his death.
Turns out ... the Deftones were big Kris Kross fans -- and last night, the hard rock band paid tribute to the memory of Chris Kelly with a hardcore tribute at their concert in St. Louis.
The band fused their hit, "Engine No.9" with "Jump" ... and the crowd went nuts.
11:22 AM PT -- A rep for the Fulton County Medical Examiner tells TMZ, the autopsy has been completed and there were no signs of trauma or foul play. The cause of death will be determined by the complete toxicology report in 3-4 weeks.
"Kris Kross" rapper Chris Kelly had been using a combination of cocaine and heroin the night before his death, this according to the police report obtained by TMZ.
According to the report, paramedics initially responded to Kelly's Atlanta home around 3 PM EST -- after his mother called 911 asking for medical assistance.
When help arrived, paramedics found 34-year-old Kelly lying on the living room couch -- unresponsive and with "no life signs." The medics attempted to revive Kelly, to no avail.
Kelly was immediately transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead a few hours later.
After the death, cops spoke with Donna Kelly Pratte -- Chris' mother -- who told police ... the night before Kelly's medical emergency, he had taken a mixture of heroin and cocaine -- commonly known as "speedballs."
Donna told police she had personally taken Kelly home to recover from the drug use ... just as she had done several times before. Donna told cops Kelly had felt nauseous all morning before passing out.
According to the report, Kelly's mother and Kelly's uncle both told investigators the rapper had an "extensive history of drug use."
Hours before Kelly passed out, he had a phone interview with The Streetz Morning Grind radio show in ATL ... and sounded like he was in bad shape.
In fact, Kelly made reference to his hard-partying ways, which seemed to upset the DJ, who was personal friends with the rapper.
Jermaine Dupri -- the guy who discovered Kris Kross -- says Chris Kelly was like a member of his family ... and he was crushed when he learned of his death.
Dupri -- who was 18-years-old when he first noticed Kris Kross in an ATL shopping mall in 1990 -- said, "To the world, Chris Kelly was MacDaddy but to me he was the son I never had."
He added, "When I think about it I spent more time with Chris and Chris than damn near anybody in my whole life, so you can imagine how bad this hurts."
Dupri concluded, "I will always love you Chris, and I will never let the world forget you."
6:21 AM PT -- Kelly had used a combination of cocaine and heroin the night before his death, this according to the police report obtained by TMZ.
5:53 AM PT -- Kelly’s death is being investigated as a drug overdose, so says Fulton County police Cpl. Kay Lester.
It's unclear what kind of drug or drugs officials believe Kelly had been using prior to his death.
An autopsy is set to take place later this morning.
Chris Kelly -- one half of the iconic rap group Kris Kross -- died Wednesday in Atlanta after he was found unconscious at his Georgia home. He was 34.
Kelly was pronounced dead around 5:30PM EST at the south campus of the Atlanta Medical Center.
As part of Kris Kross, Kelly shot to super stardom in the '90s with the group's mega hit, "Jump." They were also famous for wearing their clothing on backwards.
Back in February -- Kelly and his rap partner, Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith, reunited for a long overdue performance.
Kelly even appeared on TMZ Live -- and couldn't have been nicer.
Kelly's family released a statement saying, "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 trendsetting, backwards 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, and we will forever love him."
Talk about dedication -- one of the dudes in Kris Kross is still wearing his pants backwards ... which means he's had to pee with his pants down for the last 20 years. This deserves its own TMZ rap song.
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Get ready to break out your backwards oversized gear again, because '90s pint-sized rap duo Kris Kross are all growed up and ready to jump jump back into the spotlight.
It's been 21 years since Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly and Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith became famous for those ridiculous outfits -- and their monster hit "Jump" -- and they've just announced they are reuniting for a 20th anniversary all-star concert honoring So So Def Recordings in Atlanta next month.
While a lot may have changed since the guys last had a hit, one thing has stayed the same ... Mac Daddy is still rockin' the backwards jeans.
'Cause inside out is wiggity wiggity wiggity wack.
