On this day in Hip-Hop history, Atlanta-based tag-team Kriss Kross released their ridiculously successful debut album, Totally Krossed Out.
The album followed the mega-hit single Jump, which was released in February of the same year. Jermaine Dupri largely wrote and produced the album, which took two years to produce after the musical concept for the group was conceptualized.
Totally Krossed Out was as successful as anyone could ask their debut album to be. The album claimed the #1 spot on both the Billboard 200 chart and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop chart and sold over four million copies in the year of its release. Two of the four singles released from the album, “Jump” and “Warm It Up” were both #1 Hot Rap Singles.
“Jump” is one of the biggest singles of its era. It claimed the #1 spot on the Eurochart Hot 100 and the top music charts in Australia, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, and Switzerland. It was a Top 10 hit all over Europe. The single went double platinum in the United States and Silver in France (125,000 copies sold) in 1992.
At the time of this release, Kris Kross members Mac Daddy and Daddy Mac were only 12 and 13 years old. Jump was the fastest-selling single in fifteen years, and the two rose instantly to be among the ranks of child stars in the entertainment industry.
The critical reception for the album was much better than one would expect for a rap album by two children. Publications praised Jermaine Dupri for his creation and Kriss Kross for their iconic swagger and style. They received high ratings from many magazines and media outlets with little negative feedback. The success of this album landed the duo a spot opening on Michael Jackson’s 1992 European Dangerous World Tour and a cameo in Michael Jackson’s “Jam” music video.
