John Forté, the Grammy-nominated musician known for his work with the Fugees and the Refugee Camp All-Stars, has died at age 50.
He was found dead Monday afternoon at his home in Chilmark, Massachusetts, according to local police.
According to the MV Times, authorities said a neighbor discovered Forté alone on the kitchen floor of his residence and contacted police at 2:25 p.m. Officers arrived to find him unresponsive and not breathing, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Chilmark Police Chief Sean Slavin said there were no signs of foul play and no readily apparent cause of death.
The Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is investigating and will determine the cause.
"It is such a small community, this death hits close to home. It's the upside and the downside to living on such a small Island," Slavin told the MV Times.
The outlet also reported that Forté suffered a health setback about a year ago, when he was hospitalized following a seizure. Police did not provide further details about his medical history.
Originally from New York City, Forté built his reputation in the 1990s as a multi-instrumentalist, rapper, and producer.
He gained early recognition through his work with the Fugees, contributing to their 1996 album "The Score," which won two Grammy Awards and became one of the most commercially and critically successful hip-hop albums of its era, Billboard reported.
He also collaborated extensively with Wyclef Jean, including contributions to Jean's Grammy-nominated 1997 solo album "The Carnival."
In addition to his collaborative work, Forté pursued a solo career that blended hip-hop with soul, rock, and folk influences. His debut solo album, "Poly Sci," was released in 1998 and peaked at No. 84 on the Billboard 200.
That same year, his single "Ninety Nine (Flash the Message)" reached No. 59 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking his only appearance on the chart as a solo artist.
Forté later released additional solo projects, including "I, John," and continued to collaborate with a wide range of musicians.
Contributors to his work included Carly Simon; her son, Ben Taylor, was a close friend of Forté.
Although his solo work did not reach the commercial scale of his early collaborations, he continued recording and working with other artists.
In a 2021 interview with Billboard, Forté reflected on the Fugees' reunion surrounding the 25th anniversary of "The Score" and discussed maintaining relationships with his former collaborators.
"Talk about coming full-circle," he said at the time. "I am humbled and thrilled to be connected to that album. We will see where the calendar for the tour dates coordinate as I have things going on myself with this new album. I wasn't there for the pop-up show [Sept. 22]. But I was there in spirit. And while maybe not in the same room, I have stayed in touch with those guys over the years. Time heals."
Forté's career was interrupted in 2000 when he was arrested at Newark International Airport and charged with possession of liquid cocaine and drug trafficking.
He was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. After serving roughly seven years, his sentence was commuted by President George W. Bush following advocacy from numerous public figures, including Simon.
Police said further details will be released after the medical examiner completes the investigation.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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