Died On This Date (December 10, 2011) Karryl “Special One” Smith/ Hip-Hop’s Conscious Daughters
themusicsover Karryl Smith
DOB Unknown – December 10, 2011
Karryl “Special One” Smith was one half of the popular San Francisco hip-hop duo, the Conscious Daughters. Smith formed the act with Carla “CMG” Green in 1992, and within a year, they were signed to Paris’ label, Scarface Records. Their first album, 1994’s Ear To The Street, included their first hit, “Somethin’ to Ride (Fonky Expedition).” They went on to secure a deal with the iconic Priority Records who released their follow-up, Gamers, which landed on the Billboard charts and sold upwards of 300,000 copies. More releases followed, including 2011’s The Jane Of All Trades. Special One was reportedly found dead inside her home on December 10, 2011. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number 1 Albums for the assist.
Sylvia Robinson is best remembered as the founder and CEO of influential rap label, Sugar Hill Records who introduced most of the world to rap and hip-hop thanks to a stable of artists that included the Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Melle Mel, and the Treacherous Three. In doing so, Robinson was largely responsible for what we know as popular music, fashion, and pop culture today. Born in New York City, Robinson achieved a bit of success as a singer herself when she released the moderate hit, “Love Is Strange” in 1957. By the late ’60s, she had moved over to the label side of the business with her own company, All Platinum Records where she produced and released mostly soul records. In 1973, Robinson released another record, this time simply as Sylvia. It was called “Pillow Talk” and sold over 2 million copies, ultimately reaching #3 on the pop charts. It is widely considered one of the foundations on which disco was built, while its drumming rhythm would later be heard on “Running Up The Hill” by Kate Bush and “Big Love” by Fleetwood Mac. During the late ’70s, Robinson, her husband, Joe Robinson, and Milton Malden launched Sugar Hill Records where she quickly helped form the Sugarhill Gang who went on to release rap music’s first commercially successful single, 1979’s “Rapper’s Delight.” Robinson soon followed that with “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five. That song is credited for bringing socially conscience lyrics to rap, and along with other early releases from Sugar Hill, introduced the fine art of sampling to the world. According to 
Known professionally as DJ Mehdi, Mehdi Faveris-Essadi was a prominent French DJ and producer who has been praised throughout the underground hip-hop scene for his skills at combining elements of hip-hop and electronica. During his early professional years, Faveris-Essadi was a DJ or producer for such acts as Different Teep, Ideal J, and 113. He also worked on several French film soundtracks. As his reputation grew, Faveris-Essadi began collaborating with the likes of Chromeo, Daft Punk and Asian Dub Foundation. Faveris-Essadi released a handful of his own critically albums as well, beginning with 2002’s The Story of Espion. On September 13, 2011, DJ Mehdi Faveris-Essadi died in a tragic mishap that resulted in his falling through the roof his house. He and friends had reportedly been on the roof celebrating his birthday.
Leon Botha was a visual artist and turntablist who is perhaps best remembered for his collaborations with fellow South African alt-Hip Hop outfit, Die Antwoord. Performing under the name, DJ Solarize, Botha appeared in Die Antwoord’s immensely popular video, “Enter The Ninja,” and toured with them as opening act. In 2007, Botha presented his first art exhibit, Liquid Sword: I am HipHop, which revolved around his love of the music. Botha suffered from the rare genetic disorder, progeria which produces rapid aging and generally leads to death of the afflicted by their early teens. In Botha’s case however, he beat the odds for several years. On June 5, 2011, just one day past his 26th birthday, Leon Botha died of heart failure, a by-product of progeria.
Gil Scott-Heron was an American poet, musician, and author who has been called the “Godfather of Rap” due to the social and political commentary of his work as well as the vocal delivery with which he presented his songs. Had there been such a word during the early ’70s, his spoken word over a jazz backdrop would have been called “rap.” These early recordings were the foundation on which rap, hip-hop, and neo-soul were built. In 1970, he released a song/poem entitled “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” which many consider the exact moment at which hip-hop was born even though we wouldn’t know it for at least another 10 years. Throughout the late ’70s and ’80s, Scott-Heron lent his voice to political and social causes like the 1979 No Nukes Concert and 1985’s Artists United Against Apartheid’s Sun City benefit album. Scott-Heron spent a good part of the 2000s in jail due to various drug related charges, but in 2010, his career experienced a renaissance when he was signed to hip independent label, XL Recordings, home to such artists as Adele, the XX, Vampire Weekend, and Sigur Ros. His label debut, I’m New Here, which was his first album in 16 years, turned him on to a whole new generation of both hip-hop fans and hipsters alike. On May 27, 2011, it was announced that Gil Scott-Heron, age 62, passed away in a New York City hospital earlier that day. Cause of death was not immediately released.