Stars bid farewell to Chris Kelly at funeral

Former child star Chris Smith fought back tears on Thursday (09May13) as he paid tribute to his tragic Kris Kross bandmate Chris Kelly at his funeral in Atlanta, Georgia.

Hip-hop producer Jermaine Dupri, who discovered the duo as pre-teens, joined rapper Da Brat and Xscape singers La Tocha and Tamika Scott among the mourners at the Jackson Baptist Memorial Church as they bid a final farewell to the Jump hitmaker, known as Mac Daddy.

Dupri and Da Brat also wore their trousers backwards as a nod to the legacy of Kris Kross, who started the fashion trend when they rose to fame in the early 1990s.

Smith, aka Daddy Mac, delivered a touching eulogy to this longtime pal at the service, but had to wipe away tears as he told the crowd "it's been a struggle" to come to terms with the sudden loss.

He added, "I know Chris is in heaven. He was a true friend... I just wanna say I love you, man... and I'm gonna miss you dearly...

"My life... it ain't (sic) 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."

R&B star Keke Wyatt and the Scott sisters performed during the ceremony, which took place a day after fans were invited to pay their respects to the late star at a public wake.

Kelly, who battled substance abuse issues in the past, died on 1 May (13) from a suspected overdose. He was 34.