Hip-Hop icon Lauryn Hill took time to honor late Fugees collaborator John Forté following his untimely passing at the age of 50.
The eight-time Grammy Award winner took to social media to share a carousel of photos highlighting their friendship, noting she and Forté became “fast friends” shortly after first meeting:
“I loved him, my family loved… 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.”
Hill went on to describe Forté as “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,” she continued. “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.” As previously reported, Forté, who was a contributor of the Fugees’ timeless 1996 album The Score, passed away suddenly at his home on Jan. 12.
An official cause of death has not been released.
Following the news, Fugees member Wyclef Jean wrote on Instagram, “This one hurts,” while Pras Michel remembered Forté as “more than just a collaborator, he was family.”
Closing her heartfelt tribute, Ms.Lauryn Hill described his loss as “unexpected and surreal,” adding that her heart aches for Forté’s loved ones.
