Fugees Collaborator John Forté Dead at 50

Photo Credit: David Shankbone / CC by 3.0

John Forté, Grammy-nominated musician best known for his work with the Fugees, was found dead in his home in Massachusetts. He was 50 years old.

Grammy-nominated musician John Forté, best known for his work with the Fugees and the Refugee Camp All-Stars, including Wyclef Jean, A Tribe Called Quest, and Busta Rhymes, has died at age 50. Police say he was found dead on Monday afternoon in his home in Chilmark, Massachusetts.

Authorities responded to a call around 2:25 PM at the home for a report of an unresponsive man. Paramedics and police arrived and pronounced Forté dead at the scene.

No cause of death has yet been revealed, but Chilmark Police Chief Sean Slavin told the press that there were no signs of foul play nor a “readily apparent cause of death.” Slavin says the case is currently being investigated by the state medical examiner’s office, and has also been handed over to the local District Attorney’s Office.

Forté was a musical prodigy and New York City native whose contributions to the Fugees’ second and final album, 1996’s The Score, helped him break through to the mainstream in his early 20s. The album was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, and won for Best Rap Album. He also contributed to Fugees alumnus Wyclef Jean’s The Carnival, as well as hits from artists like Busta Rhymes, Mos Def, and A Tribe Called Quest.

As a rapper and multi-instrumentalist, John Forté released solo albums including Poly Sci and I John, which featured contributions from the legendary Carly Simon. Notably, Simon’s son, Ben Taylor, was a close friend to Forté. He also created music for television and film.

In 2000, he was arrested at Newark International Airport on drug possession charges that landed him with a 14-year prison sentence. Thanks to advocates including Simon, Taylor, and Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, President George W. Bush commuted his sentence after seven years.

John Forté is survived by his wife, photographer Lara Fuller, and their two young children, Haile and Wren.