Lauryn Hill is remembering Fugees collaborator John Forté as “a gentle soul” following the celebrated artist’s death earlier this week at the age of 50.
In a message of remembrance shared to Instagram on Wednesday (Jan. 14), the eight-time Grammy winner recalled her and Forté becoming “fast friends” after they first met.
“I loved him, my family loved him… I remember meeting his mom with her sweet voice for the first time and walking New York City streets with him in full youthful fascination mode,” Hill wrote. “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.”
As previously reported, Forté, a member of the Refugee Camp All-Stars collective and a key contributor to the 1996 Fugees classic The Score, died at his home in Massachusetts on Monday (Jan. 12). Per the Martha’s Vineyard Times, Forté’s death was confirmed by Chilmark Police, who said “no foul play” was suspected.
“Forté was a gentlemen and a scholar with a strong pen, deep soul, and kind heart,” Hill said Wednesday. “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.”
Hill went on to recall introducing Forté to Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel, which led to him “contributing bars, beats, and that beautiful smile.” She also called the loss “unexpected and surreal,” adding that her “heart aches” for his family.
“I love you John,” she added. “Rest in peace, gentle king.”
Wyclef previously spoke out about Forté’s death in an IG update of his own, telling fans, “This one hurts.” Pras also paid tribute, remembering Forté as “more than just a collaborator—he was family.”
RIP.
