John Forté, the rapper and producer best known for his collaborations with the hip-hop group Fugees, has died at 50.
Forté was found dead on Monday in his home in Chilmark, on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, according to the Associated Press.
A statement from Chilmark Police Chief Sean Slavin indicated that Forté’s cause of death was not yet known, but there was no apparent evidence of foul play.
He added that the state medical examiner’s office is currently investigating the circumstances of Forté’s death.
The performer — whose career was derailed by a drug arrest in 2000 — was a member of the loose-knit collective Refugee Camp All-Stars, which was associated with Fugees.
The Refugee Camp All-Stars both collaborated with the better-known trio — comprised of Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel — and handled production for Fugees.
John Forté, the rapper and producer best known for his collaborations with the hip-hop group Fugees, has died at 50. He was found dead on Monday in his home in Chilmark, on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, according to the Associated Press; pictured in 2014 in NYC
Forté was part of the collective Refugee Camp All-Stars, and he worked with its associated trio Fugees. Forté co-wrote, co-produced and performed on Fugees’ 1996 hit The Score, which earned him a Grammy nod; Fugees members (L–R) Pras Michel, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean pictured in 2023 in Oakland, Calif.
Forté went on to collaborate with Jean on We Trying To Stay Alive, the lead single from Jean’s debut solo album The Carnival.
Forté also performed on the 1997 Fugees song Rumble In The Jungle, which featured guest spots from Busta Rhymes and A Tribe Called Quest.
Forté’s most substantial collaboration with Fugees was on the group’s second and final LP, The Score (1996).
Forté was credited as a writer and producer on two tracks: Family Business — which he also performed on — and Cowboys.
The album was a hit with critics and topped the Billboard 200 album charts in the US, along with charts across the globe.
It was eventually certified 7x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, indicating sales and streaming figures of more than seven million units.
Forté shared in The Score’s nomination for Album of the Year at the Grammys, though it didn’t win in that category.
The multi-instrumentalist released his debut studio album Poly Sci in 1998.
Forté — who’s pictured in the 1997 music video for Jean’s Staying Alive — followed The Score’s chart-topping success with his 1998 debut LP Poly Sci
He was arrested in 2000 on charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute and was sentenced to the mandatory minimum 14 years in prison; pictured in 2013
Forté recorded his album I, John while awaiting sentencing. Carly Simon, who sang a duet with him, later advocated for his release. In 2008, President George W. Bush commuted his sentence; Simon is pictured in 2016 in Beverly Hills
However, his career suffered a devastating setback in 2000, when he was arrested on charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute.
Forté was apprehended at Newark International Airport after allegedly accepting a briefcase filled with $1.4 million of liquid cocaine.
He was convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison, the mandatory minimum.
While awaiting sentencing, Forté recorded his sophomore album I, John, which featured a duet with Carly Simon and a guest spot from jazz icon Herbie Hancock.
The album was released in 2002 and received stronger reviews than his debut.
Simon developed a friendship with Forté after their collaboration, and she advocated for his release and tried to overturn his mandatory minimum drug sentence.
Former Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, who died in 2022, was instrumental in convincing President George W. Bush to commute Forté’s sentence in November 2008.
After his release, Forté released several more albums in the 2010s and early 2020s.
After his release, Forté released several more albums in the 2010s and early 2020s. His most recent LP was 2021’s Vessels, Angels & Ancestors; pictured in 2010 in Park City, Utah
In 2015, Forté met his wife, the photographer Lara Fuller, on Martha’s Vineyard, according to TMZ. He is survived by her and their two children, daughter Wren and son Haile; pictured in 2018 in Washington, DC
His most recent LP was 2021’s Vessels, Angels & Ancestors.
In 2012, Forte wrote the song Brooklyn: Something To Lean On, which was used by the Brooklyn Nets as the team’s anthem throughout it’s debut season under its current name.
In 2015, Forté met his wife, the photographer Lara Fuller, on Martha’s Vineyard, according to TMZ.
He is survived by her and their two children, a daughter named Wren and a son named Haile.
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