John Forté was found lifeless in his home. The police are investigating.
John Forté is dead. The artist known for his collaborations with the Fugees and Wyclef Jean was discovered lifeless in his home on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. He was 50 years old.
Police confirm the musician’s death
As the police in Chilmark, Massachusetts, confirmed to the industry magazine “Variety”, John Forté was found dead in his own home at around 2:25 p.m. local time. Emergency services had previously been alerted because of an unresponsive person. The case was referred to the state criminal investigation department. According to the current state of the investigation, there is no evidence of foul play. An immediate cause of death could not initially be determined. It is also not known who alerted the officers.
From the Fugees to solo artist
Forté rose to prominence in the 1990s through his participation in the Fugees’ breakthrough album The Score. He appeared on several tracks on the 1996 album, which won Best Rap Album at the 1997 Grammy Awards, including “Family Business” and “Cowboys.” He also appeared on Wyclef Jean’s solo album “The Carnival”.
The Brooklyn-born musician began his musical career as a violin player in a youth orchestra before turning to hip hop. After working as A&R manager for Rawkus Records, a close collaboration with the Fugees developed.
Prison stay and artistic comeback
In 1998, Forté released his debut album Poly Sci, produced by Wyclef Jean. Two years later, he was arrested at Newark Airport for transporting liquid cocaine and sentenced to a minimum sentence of 14 years. In 2002, his second album “I, John” was released with guest contributions from Dinah Washington and Carly Simon, which he recorded during preparation for the trial.
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After seven years in prison, Forté was released early in December 2008 after then US President George W. Bush commuted his sentence. He returned to New York and resumed his music career. Further releases followed, including the EPs “Stylefree” (2009) and “Water Light Sound” (2011). In 2012 he composed the theme song for the Brooklyn Nets basketball team.
Wyclef Jean paid tribute to his late companion
Wyclef Jean said goodbye to John Forté in an Instagram post. He wrote on a video of a joint performance: “This hurts, my brother John Forté has gone to the angels. Legends never die. Look at his smile. Rest in peace, my Fugees brother.”
Last years on Martha’s Vineyard
For the past ten years, Forté has lived on Martha’s Vineyard, where musician Ben Taylor first took him in the late 1990s. Most recently, he worked on music for the HBO documentary series “Eyes on the Prize.” He also developed a film project about his own life. His last album “Vessels, Angels & Ancestors” was released in 2021.