Special One, the MC who, as one-half of the Oakland-based duo Conscious Daughters, repped for female rhymers in the mid-'90s, proving that dudes didn't have the monopoly on hard-edged West Coast rap, was found dead on Saturday (Dec. 10), Yahoo! Music reports.

She was discovered in her apartment by Carla "CMG" Green, her partner on the Daughters' three studio albums: 'Ear to the Street' (1993), 'Gamers' (1996) and 'The Nutcracker Suite' (2009). The cause of death is not yet known.

"Thank you to everyone for your prayers I need them," Green wrote on her Facebook page. "I am sick over the loss of my sister."

Born Karryl Smith, Special One achieved modest fame in 1993, when the group's debut reached No. 126 on the Billboard 200. The singles 'Something To Ride To (Fonky Expedition)' and 'We Roll Deep' were both minor hits, and the Daughters earned plaudits for mixing street attitude with female empowerment.

According to MTV's RapFix blog, Special One and CMG had been prepping songs for a fourth Conscious Daughters album. The hip-hop vets had recently parted company with Paris, the San Francisco rapper who released their previous records, and inked a distribution deal with Sony Red.

Watch Conscious Daughters' Video for 'Somethin' To Ride To (Fonky Expedition)'



Watch 'The Story of Hip-Hop Money, Women and Desegregation'

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