Unexpected and unfortunate news: Kris Kross’ Chris ‘Mac Daddy’ Kelly has passed away. He was 34.

As WDAF report (via Pitchfork), the singer was found in an unresponsive state at his home yesterday evening. He was subsequently transferred to the Atlanta Medical Centre, where he was later pronounced dead. A cause of death has yet to be announced.

Kris Kross – the barely pubescent double-act of Kelly and Chris ‘Daddy Mac’ Smith – enjoyed major success in the early 1990s, recording for Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def label. Following the enormous success of debut single ‘Jump’, Kris Kross released three albums: 1992’s multi-platinum Totally Krossed Out, 1993’s Da Bomb and 1996’s Young, Rich & Dangerous. The shock news follows a high-profile  reunion show in January as part of a So So Def 20th anniversary concert in Atlanta.

A joint statement from Kelly’s mother and the So So Def camp reads as follows:

“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.”

Update: According to TMZ, the cause of death may be drugs. They report that after finding Kelly dead, police “spoke with Kelly’s friend, Donna, who told officers … the night before Kelly’s medical emergency, he had taken a mixture of heroin and cocaine”

“Donna told police she had taken Kelly home to recover from the drug use … and said she had done this “several times in the past.”

“Donna told cops Kelly had felt nauseous all morning before passing out.