John Forté, a Grammy nominee who was famously pardoned by President George W. Bush in 2008, has suddenly passed away. He was 50 years old.
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According to the Associated Press, Forté was discovered dead in his Chilmark, Massachusetts, residence on Monday. Chilmark Police Chief Sean Slavin shared in a statement that there were no signs of foul play and “readily apparent cause of death.”
The case is being investigated by Massachusetts state medical examiners, Slavin noted.
Born in New York City on Jan. 30, 1975, John Forté started his music career in 1989. He teamed up with the music group Fugees for their Grammy-winning song “The Score.” He also contributed to Wyclef Jean’s Grammy-nominated track “The Carnival.”
However, things took a turn in 2000, when he was arrested at Newark International Airport after he accepted a briefcase that contained $1.5 billion worth of liquid cocaine. He was charged with liquid cocaine possession and drug trafficking.
Forté released the album I, John in 2001 while awaiting trial. The record featured a special duet with Carly Simon, who is the mother of Forté’s longtime friend, Ben Taylor.
The musician was sentenced to 14 years in prison. The sentence was later commuted after seven years by President George W. Bush. Simon and Taylor were continuously advocating for Forté’s release.
Following his release from prison, Forté collaborated with Talib Kweli on a cover of Kanye West’s “Homecoming.”
Forté was survived by his wife, Lara Fuller, and his two children.
John Forté Once Said He Saw the ‘Worst Reflection’ Of Our Society in the Prison System
During a 2014 interview with Huffington Post, John Forté reflected on his time in prison.
“I saw the worst reflection of our society as evidenced in our prison system,” he explained. “We are hemorrhaging right now.”
Following his release, Forté became an advocate for prison reform. “My activism towards criminal justice reform and towards juvenile justice is very, very personal,” he noted. “I do it by telling my narrative as opposed to trying to preach to people. I think that as an artist, it’s my responsibility, self imposed or otherwise, to tell my story as honestly as I possibly can.”
Forté also advocated for youth mental health and education. “I don’t want to play the race card, but I would be a fool to say I did not notice a disproportionate number of children of color in the juvenile criminal justice system,” he pointed out. “How are we failing these kids, and what can we do to make it better?”