Lauryn Hill Pays Tribute to Late Rapper John Forte

Ms. Lauryn Hill paid tribute to John Forté following news of the artist, songwriter, and Fugees contributor’s death on Monday at the age of 50.

“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 on Instagram beneath a shared photo of her and Forté. “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 went on to reminisce about how their generation of Hip-hop was young and “at the acent of its epic rise.” She shared how the ’90s were “a time of excitement and possibility” for them as they navigated the game and streets of New York City.

“Forte was a gentleman and a scholar with a strong pen, deep soul, and kind heart. Part Brownsville, part prep-school,” she shared. “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.”

As an aspiring rapper himself, Forté joined the Refugee Camp All-Stars after meeting Wyclef and Pras. He eventually became known for producing songs on the Fugees‘ 1996 classic, The Score, and featured on “Cowboys,” “Family Business,” and the standout bonus single, “Fu-Gee-La.”

“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.

The Grammy-winning artist recalled how Forté made an appearance at the Newark stop of the 2023 Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Anniversary Tour. “I hadn’t seen John in years before the last Mised-Fugees Tour, but he stepped on stage like no time had passed at all.”

“We were in contact only a few weeks ago. 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 joins the slew of fans, musicians, and others who honored Forté following his death. Fellow Fugees member Wyclef Jean mourned his friend with an Instagram post featuring a video of them on stage. “This one hurts my brother @john_forte has joined the Angels,” he wrote. “Legends never Die look at the smile R I P my Refugee brother.”

This story originally published on Vibe.