John Forté, the Grammy-nominated artist renowned for his contributions to the Fugees and Refugee Camp All-Stars, has passed away at the age of 50.
Authorities discovered him at his home in Chilmark, Massachusetts, on Monday afternoon.
Chilmark Police Chief Sean Slavin reported that there were no indications of foul play or an immediately apparent cause of death. The Massachusetts state medical examiner’s office is currently conducting an investigation.
Hailing from New York City, Forté emerged as a gifted musician in his early 20s. He gained recognition for his pivotal work on the Fugees’ Grammy-winning album “The Score” and Wyclef Jean’s Grammy-nominated “The Carnival”.
In addition to being a talented multi-instrumentalist and rapper, Forté released solo projects such as “Poly Sci” and “I, John”, which featured collaborators like Carly Simon. Simon’s son, Ben Taylor, was a close friend of Forté and played a key role in his career.
Forté achieved a solo breakthrough with his single *Ninety Nine [Flash The Message]*, which reached No. 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998. That same year, his album “Poly Sci” climbed to #84 on the Billboard 200 chart.
