John Forté
Dead at 50 …
Former Fugees Collaborator
Published
January 13, 2026
12:58 PM PST
John Forté, famous for his work with The Fugees, is dead … TMZ has confirmed.
The Grammy-nominated recording artist died Monday at his home in Chilmark, Massachusetts — a town on Martha’s Vineyard — according to Chilmark Police Chief Sean Slavin.
We’re told John died suddenly and the cause of death is unclear … though cops do NOT suspect foul play.
John is best known for his contributions to The Fugees’ second studio album “The Score,” which was released in February 1996 and won a Grammy for Best Rap Album. John is featured on two tracks, “Family Business” and “Cowboys,” and he co-wrote and produced several songs on the breakthrough album.
Lauryn Hill famously introduced John to The Fugees … he showed Wyclef Jean and Pras some of the music he was making and they were so impressed they asked him to anchor “Cowboys.”
John also had a couple features on Wyclef’s debut solo album, “Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival,” in June 1997 … anchoring the song “We Trying to Stay Alive” and appearing on “Street Jeopardy.”
Wyclef produced John’s debut album, 1998’s “Poly Sci,” but John’s career was derailed in 2000 when he was arrested at Newark International Airport in connection with a criminal conspiracy to sell liquid cocaine.
John was charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute … he was convicted and sentenced to the mandatory-minimum 14 years, and spent seven years in a Pennsylvania prison before his sentence was commuted in November 2008 by then-President George W. Bush.
When he got out of prison, John went to New York City and got back into music … writing the song “Something to Lean On,” a theme for the Brooklyn Nets that played before every game during elaborate player introductions in their inaugural season in 2012-13.
John met his wife, Lara Fuller, on Martha’s Vineyard in 2015 … they got hitched and had two kids together, daughter Wren and son Haile.
He was 50.
RIP