Lauryn Hill is remembering John Forté, one of hip-hop’s quiet architects.
Yesterday, the Grammy-winning artist paid tribute to John Forté, the producer, songwriter, and longtime Fugees collaborator who died on Monday at age 50. In a profoundly personal Instagram post, Hill reflected on their friendship, their formative years in New York City, and a moment in hip-hop history when everything still felt possible.
“I can’t remember the exact moment I met John Forte or Forte as we used to call him, but I know we became fast friends very soon after,” Hill wrote. “I loved him, my family loved him.”
Hill reflected on their early days together, “walking New York City streets with him in full youthful fascination mode.” Remembering their generation of 90s hip hop as “full of excitement and possibility,” as they witnessed the “ascent of its epic rise.”
“Forte was a gentleman and a scholar with a strong pen, deep soul, and kind heart. 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,” she continued.
While sharing a carousel of photos of them through the years, Hill revealed that she introduced Forté to Fugees members Wyclef Jean and Pras. This introduction ultimately led to their iconic collaborations on the group’s landmark 1996 album, “The Score,” including appearances on tracks like “Cowboys,” “Family Business,” and the bonus single “Fu-Gee-La.”
“Soon after he’d become part of the crew (Refugee Camp to be exact) and part of the music the Fugees were creating. Contributing bars, beats, and that beautiful smile. I remember that summer like a movie. Me, Forte, Chuck, and Edwin were everywhere in NYC, in love with hip hop, where it was going and where it could go,” she wrote. “We were all inseparable that summer, music and fashion connoisseurs, outside- figuring out the best ways to communicate our particular consciousnesses within that musical landscape.”
Though time and life pulled them into different orbits, Hill said Forté reemerged during the recent Mised-Fugees Tour as if nothing had changed. “He stepped on stage like no time had passed at all,” she recalled.
“We were in contact only a few weeks ago,” she concluded. “This loss is unexpected and surreal, and my heart aches… for his family, for his wife, for his children, for his friends, and for all of us who were blessed to know him. I love you, John. Rest in peace, gentle King.”
Hill is the latest member of the Fugees crew to share a tribute to the late producer. Shortly after news broke of Forté being found unresponsive in his Martha’s Vineyard home, Wyclef Jean shared a video of the two playing on stage together, captioned: “This one hurts. My brother @john_forte has joined the Angels. Legends never die, look at the smile. RIP my Refugee brother.”
Forté leaves behind his wife, Laura Fuller, and two children, Wren, 10, and Hale, 7.
