As a child, John Forté was a violin prodigy from a tough neighborhood in Brooklyn who earned a scholarship to an exclusive private high school in the Northeast. His life journey took him from working as an A&R executive at an indie label to unexpected commercial success with the Fugees, followed by disappointment as a solo artist. Then, at age 26, his life took a dramatic turn when he was caught in a sting operation for facilitating the transport of $1.4 million worth of liquid cocaine. He was convicted and sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.
On Monday, Forté was found dead in his home in Chilmark, Massachusetts, on Martha’s Vineyard, according to the Associated Press. A neighbor discovered him unresponsive in his kitchen shortly before 2:30 p.m. and called authorities, as reported by the MV Times. He was 50 years old.
Forté was a rare recipient of a commutation from President George W. Bush, who in 2008 cut short Forté’s sentence after seven years, allowing him to return home to resume his musical career and start the family he had long desired since he was 23.
Chilmark Police Chief Sean Slavin told media outlets that there was no “readily apparent cause of death” and no evidence of foul play. The state medical examiner’s office in Massachusetts is currently investigating his death, according to the Vineyard Gazette.
“This one hurts,” Fugees founding member Wyclef Jean wrote on social media Tuesday alongside a video of the two performing acoustically. “My brother @john_Forté has joined the Angels. Legends never die. Look at that smile. R.I.P. my Refugee brother.”
**Early Life and Musical Beginnings**
Born on January 30, 1975, in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, Forté did not have an easy upbringing. In a 1998 interview, he described his neighborhood as having been “declared a war zone” by the NYPD. He recalled his mother buying him only generic “plastic” sneakers and shared the discomfort he felt after moving to the more affluent Brooklyn Heights neighborhood following his initial musical success.
“It’s crazy when you tell them you went to a good school and they think you meant reform school,” he said.
However, Forté was an inquisitive 8-year-old violinist who played in a youth orchestra and even performed a recital at the prestigious Brooklyn Academy of Music, according to GQ. He absorbed a diverse array of musical styles from jazz to soul and eventually found rap to be his “lifeline” to a different world.
Forté earned a scholarship to Phillips Exeter Academy, a boarding school in New Hampshire. Ben Taylor, son of Carly Simon and James Taylor, also attended Exeter, though they became friends only years later. Carly Simon would later play a critical role during a dark chapter in Forté’s life.
At 16, Forté found himself watching and learning in the studio with Gang Starr members, rapper Guru and producer DJ Premier. Being mentioned in the liner notes of a Gang Starr album affirmed his path. “That gave me the tools I needed not just to rap, but to make music,” he told GQ.
He went on to study music business at New York University, where he roomed with rapper Talib Kweli.
**Rise to Fame with the Fugees**
In 1993, at age 18, Forté connected with the Refugee Camp All Stars through mutual friends while working as an A&R executive for the indie rap label Rawkus Records. He first met Lauryn Hill — with whom he briefly dated — and then Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel.
“I submitted beats, we did ‘The Score.’ I was part of the nominations when it came down to the Grammys,” Forté recalled. “It made me really proud to be part of an organization that was like a family.”
The Fugees’ album *The Score* went to No. 1 worldwide and sold approximately 22 million copies. It was the group’s second and final album.
**Solo Career and Setbacks**
After his success with the Fugees, Forté released a solo album in 1998. Unfortunately, it failed to gain traction, selling only 80,000 copies. Forté described it as his first major disappointment.
“The record landed like a brick,” he told Kweli in a 2021 interview on “The People’s Party.”
His debut album, *Poly Sci*, featured some tracks with morbid storylines that contrasted with lighter, more pop-friendly songs. Critics noted that his appeal diminished on grittier themes, though the softer selections redeemed the album.
Instead of reflecting on how to improve, Forté said he blamed others for the album’s failure. His label, Ruffhouse Records, eventually dropped him.
**Descent and Incarceration**
Believing he could manage his career independently, Forté met a man in a club involved in “an operation” offering to jump-start his recording career. This connection led him to act as a middleman, facilitating drug transport by connecting couriers with the operation.
“What I allowed myself to receive didn’t result in the healthiest choices,” Forté admitted to GQ.
The operation collapsed when Forté unwittingly picked up two couriers at Newark International Airport whose arrest the previous day had led them to cooperate with federal authorities. Forté was arrested in a sting.
“Everything, time stood still that day,” he said.
He was convicted of aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, receiving a mandatory 14-year sentence — on the low end of the federal sentencing guidelines. Forté maintained that he believed he was collecting money in the suitcases, not liquid cocaine.
**Support and Commutation**
High-profile figures, including Carly Simon (who posted bail for him), hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, and Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, advocated for his early release. Simon called his lengthy sentence “too harsh for a first-time drug offense.”
“He’s an extraordinary young man,” Simon said shortly after President George W. Bush commuted Forté’s sentence in 2008.
During his incarceration, Forté spent much time in the prison law library searching for ways to reduce his sentence. He also learned to play acoustic guitar with the help of a fellow inmate.
“There’s the realization that some prisons are not physical,” he told the Vineyard Gazette in 2010. “There are many forms of prison — spiritual, mental, and physical.”
**Return to Music and Life on Martha’s Vineyard**
After his release, Forté returned to New York and resumed his music career, often performing with acoustic guitar. He recorded a cover of Kanye West’s “Homecoming” with Talib Kweli and began teaching. In 2009, he released *StyleFree, the EP*, with his single “Play My Cards for Me” featured in the 2010 film *Just Wright*. Another song, “Nervous,” appeared in *Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming*.
By 2012, Forté wrote and recorded “Something to Lean On,” which became the inaugural rap theme song for the Brooklyn Nets basketball team. He also appeared in the 2012 film *The Russian Winter*, documenting his journey from Brooklyn to prison, and beyond.
Forté’s connections with Carly Simon and Ben Taylor drew him to Martha’s Vineyard. After moving to the island in 2015, he met freelance photographer Lara Fuller. The couple married in 2017 and had two children, a son Haile and daughter Wren.
In a 1998 video interview, Forté had expressed his desire to start a family: “I’m 23 but I have baby fever…I want my little kids in the studio with me, talking about, ‘My dad is cool.’”
**Final Works and Legacy**
Forté released his last album, *Vessels, Angels & Ancestors*, in 2021. He scored the 2024 documentary *Paint Me a Road Out of Here*, about women incarcerated at New York’s Rikers Island and a 50-year journey of a painting to the Brooklyn Museum. He also contributed to the HBO revival of *Eyes on the Prize*, a six-part series on the Black American experience since the civil rights movement.
As of 2023, Forté remained active with the Fugees, performing live while balancing movie soundtracks and scoring work, including contributions to *The Other Guys* and *Star Trek: Discovery*. A documentary about his life, *Settling the Score*, directed by Petter Ringbom and Marquise Stillwell, is reportedly in production.
“What I found myself doing most recently is honestly just feeling empowered,” Forté told Martha’s Vineyard Arts and Ideas in 2025. “I’m always writing songs. But there is a moment when the songs I’m working on are clearly connected… I think I’m actually in the middle of an album here.”
He was also collaborating on Texas-based musician Peter More’s new EP.
**Health and Family**
Family friends told the MV Times that Forté had suffered a seizure last year, requiring hospitalization, and had since been on medication to prevent further seizures.
John Forté is survived by his wife, his 8-year-old daughter, and his 5-year-old son. A GoFundMe campaign launched to support his children had raised over $66,000 of its $90,000 goal as of Wednesday afternoon.
John Forté’s journey from a gifted violinist in Brooklyn to Grammy-winning artist, through hardship and redemption, leaves a lasting legacy in music and beyond.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2026-01-14/john-forte-dead-musician-fugees
