John Forté, the Grammy-nominated musician and producer who collaborated with groups like the Fugees and Refugee Camp All-Stars, has died at the age of 50.
Per the Associated Press, police found the recording artist dead in his Chilmark, Mass. home yesterday afternoon. The Martha’s Vineyard town’s police chief Sean Slavin said in a statement there were no signs of foul play or a “readily apparent cause of death.” The case is currently being investigated by the state medical examiner’s office.
As a part of the ’90s music collective Refugee Camp All-Stars, Forté worked on such songs as Fugees member Wyclef Jean’s “We Trying to Stay Alive,” the first single off of his debut solo album The Carnival, and “Rumble in the Jungle,” also featuring Busta Rhymes and A Tribe Called Quest. But the hip-hop artist is best known for his writing and production work on the Fugees’ second and final album, 1996’s multi-platinum bestseller The Score, which received widespread critical and commercial acclaim and led to Forté’s Grammy nomination at the age of 21.
In 1998, he released a solo debut album called Poly Sci, which featured vocals from DMX, Fat Joe and Fugees member Pras. In 2001, he also released I, John, which included a duet with Carly Simon.
In 2000, Forté was arrested at Newark International Airport and charged with possession with intent to distribute $1.4 million worth of liquid cocaine. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison, but the sentence was commuted in 2008 by President George W. Bush following advocacy from several notable figures, including Simon.
Forté is survived by his wife, the photographer Lara Fuller, and two children.