'Fugees' producer John Forté found dead in Massachusetts at 50
- - 'Fugees' producer John Forté found dead in Massachusetts at 50
Anthony Robledo, USA TODAYJanuary 13, 2026 at 11:21 PM
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John Forté at Tribeca Festival on June 5, 2025, in New York City.
Grammy-nominated R&B singer John Forté has died at age 50, according to the .
Chilmark Police Chief Sean Slavin said the rapper and producer was found dead Monday afternoon, Jan. 12, in his home in Chilmark, Massachusetts, AP reported.
Officials found no signs of foul play or a "readily apparent cause of death," Slavin said in a statement to the outlet. The state's medical examiner is currently investigating the case.
USA TODAY has reached out to the Chilmark Police Department.
A collaborator of groups "The Fugees" and "Refugee Camp All-Stars," Forté worked on tracks like "Family Business" and "Cowboys." At age 21, he landed a Grammy nomination in the prestigious album of the year category for his writing and production work on the Fugees’ 1996 album "The Score."
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Through collaborations with rapper Wyclef Jean, Forté lent his talents to tracks like "We Trying to Stay Alive" and "Street Jeopardy."
By 1998, he kicked off a solo career with a debut album titled "Poly Sci," and in 2001, he dropped a follow-up called "I, John."
Forté served seven years of a 14 prison sentence following a 2000 arrest at Newark International Airport and conviction of possession of liquid cocaine and drug trafficking. President George W. Bush later commuted the sentence in 2008.
The New York native is survived by his wife, photographer Lara Fuller, and their two children.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Forté, 50, found dead at home. What was his cause of death?
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
