John Forté, Fugees collaborator and The Score architect, dies at 50

Grammy-nominated musician John Forté, known for helping shape the Fugees’ hit The Score, has died at age 50 at his home in Chilmark, Massachusetts; there is no readily identified cause of death, and the medical examiner is investigating. Forté rose from Brooklyn poverty to musical prominence, later serving 14 years in federal prison for aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute cocaine before receiving clemency from President George W. Bush in 2008. After his release, he continued making music and scoring films, built a family on Martha’s Vineyard, and remained connected to the Fugees as tributes poured in from former collaborators like Wyclef Jean.