John Forté, Fugees producer and rapper, dies aged 50
John Forté, the rapper, musician and producer who collaborated with Fugees, has died.
Regarded as a key voice in the New York hip-hop scene of the 1990s, the artist was found in his Massachusetts home on Monday 12th January. Local police have issued a statement confirming there were no signs of disturbance at the scene, and the cause remains unknown. He was 51.
Originally from Brooklyn, Forté was a classically trained musician, having studied violin in childhood. He went on to become first choice for the instrument in a youth orchestra. He later received a scholarship to continue learning the discipline at Phillips Exeter Academy, New Hampshire, before returning to New York.
Equally passionate about jazz, he picked up on how to produce beats via the legendary DJ Premier while in the studio with Gang Starr, who were recording their second album, ‘Step in the Arena’. Becoming more immersed in the scene, Forté secured an A&R position at hip-hop label Rawkus, bringing roommate and close friend Talib Kweli into a community of artists including Pharoahe Monch and Mos Def.
At the age of 21, he met Pras and Lauryn Hill, who invited him to appear and contribute production to the landmark second Fugees album, ‘The Score’. His input can be a heard most on ‘Cowboys’, ‘Family Business’, and the B-side remix of ‘Fu-Gee-La’. This gave rise to his role in the Refugee Camp All Stars collective, who featured on Wyclef jean’s 1997 debut, ‘The Carnival’.
Jean would then produce Forté’s inaugural solo LP, ‘Poly Sci’, the following year. Second album, ‘I. John’, arrived in 2002, following a period of upheaval in which the artist was arrested at Newark Airport in 2000 for possession of liquid cocaine and drug trafficking charges. He was released seven years early after then-President George W. Bush intervened.
During his career, Forté worked with a long list of influential musicians, including Ben Taylor, Carly Simon, and Kweli – who released and featured on 2020’s ‘Riddem Drive’ album. More recently, he is remembered for 2021’s long player, ‘Vessels’, written in response to the racist police murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Last year, he also delivered the soundtrack to critically acclaimed documentary Kerouac’s Road: The Beat of a Nation.
