Lauryn Hill paid tribute to Fugees collaborator John Forté after his passing.
Describing him as “a gentle soul” recalled her and Forté becoming “fast friends” after their initial meeting.
“I loved him. My family loved him,” Hill wrote. “I remember meeting his mom with her sweet voice for the first time. And walking the New York City streets with him in full youthful fascination mode. Our generation of hip-hop was young and at the ascent of its epic rise. We were both there…participating and taking it all in, full of excitement and possibility.”
“Forté was a gentleman and a scholar with a strong pen, deep soul, and kind heart,” Hill continued. “Part Brownsville, part prep-school, he had access to a way of expressing himself. With a vocabulary and fluency that was very unique for the time. John was a gentle soul beneath all of his Brownsville chanting. I wish we’d had the opportunity to embrace that even more back then.”
Hill remembered introducing Forté to Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel, where he became one of the Refugee Camp All Stars. She added that her “heart aches” for his family.
“I love you John,” she added. “Rest in peace, gentle king.”
As WBLS reported, the Grammy-nominated artist passed away at his home in Chilmark, Massachusetts, on Monday. He was 50.
With the Refugee Camp All-Stars, Forté toured with the Fugees. He contributed to Wyclef Jean’s platinum-selling debut solo album, The Carnival, in 1997. He was featured on the LP’s first single, “We’re Tryin’ To Stay Alive.”
Forté released his debut solo album, Poly Sci, which was produced by Jean in 1998.
Jean said that, “John’s voice was unmistakable.“He was more than a collaborator—he was family.”
Forté is survived by his wife, photographer Lara Fuller, and their two children.