John Forté
Encyclopedia
John Forté is a Grammy-nominated American recording artist, composer, music producer, educator and activist. He achieved fame while writing, producing and performing with the celebrated hip hop group The Fugees
during the 1990’s, and has released four solo albums, including his most recent effort, Water Light Sound, released in September 2011.
Forté has collaborated with a range of diverse musicians and is known for a profound understanding and appreciation of a broad range of musical genres, spanning from hip hop to indie folk to classical music.
Forté is also Chief Executive Officer of Le Castle, a company he founded in 2011 to manage his upcoming projects in music, film and other creative fields.
After high school, Forté returned to New York City, enrolling in NYU as a music business major, where he roomed with rapper Talib Kweli, before dropping out to work as an artist & repertoire executive at Rawkus Records. [B] During his stay at NYU Forté met Lauryn Hill, she in turn introduced him to Wyclef Jean. Forté was invited to produce and perform on what would become one of the most renowned and highest selling hip hop albums of all time, The Fugees' The Score.
, for the Top 40 hit single, Avenues
, from the Money Talks
soundtrack.
put little cash behind its promotional tour." Spin called it “a crush between academia and street life that’s utterly absorbing.”
after accepting a briefcase containing $1.4 million worth of liquid cocaine
; he was charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute. He was convicted and sentenced to the mandatory minimum 14 years after being found guilty, and incarcerated at FCI Loretto
, a low-security federal prison in central Pennsylvania.
Carly Simon
and her son Ben Taylor
were advocates on Forté's behalf, believing he did not receive a fair trial; they fought for an appeal of the mandatory minimum drug laws that remove a judge’s discretion in a case. They met Forté through Taylor's cousin who was a classmate of Forté's at Phillips Exeter.. “Carly is a mentor to me, a guide, absolutely my spiritual godmother,” Forté has said.
With the help of Senator Orrin Hatch
, Forté's prison sentence was commuted by President George W. Bush on November 24, 2008. He was released from prison four weeks later, on December 22.
Soon after his release from prison, Forté recorded a cover of Kanye West's "Homecoming" with Talib Kweli. In the song, he discusses the issues surrounding his jail time. The music video was posted on Okayplayer.com on January 17, 2009. [1]
In 2009 he wrote various articles on TheDailyBeast.com [2] [3][4], and Okayplayer.com interviewed him as he began his teaching job at the City College of New York in late March 2009.
In July 2009, Forté released StyleFree, the EP, a body of work that provided social commentary combined with hope and inspiration. It allowed his audience to bear witness to the remaking of a man. The single off the EP, “Play my Cards For Me,” an audible reflection of his hip hop and R&B roots, was placed in the Queen Latifah
/Common film “Just Wright
" and the song "Nervous" was used in the film "Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming
."
In January 2010, Forté's work was featured throughout the Sundance Film Festival, where, in addition to performing at the ASCAP Music Café, he scored all of the opening festival trailers, had the end credit song in the film “Night Catches Us” (featuring Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, with original music by The Roots), and participated in a unique audio and visual collaborative effort with Joe Gordon-Levitt at hitrecord.org.
In the spring of 2010, Forté and his band participated in a successful 15-city tour with K'Naan, Wale and Tabi Bonney.
In February 2011, Le Castle produced a 9-week tour through Russia. Titled "From Brooklyn to Russia with Love!", the tour took Forté and his band – including bassist Brian Satz, percussionist Ryan Vaughn and keyboardist Patrick Firth – across Russia, from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan and Ekaterinburg, and other smaller locales along the Trans-Siberia Railway. Among the artists with whom Forté collaborated in Russia were Sunsay, Natasha Bedingfield, Evgeny Margulis, Alina Orlova, Billy's Band, Zero People, uma2rman, Emch Subatomic, Sergei Skrypka's State Symphony Cinema Orchestra, Romario, and more. All proceeds from the tour were donated to local orphanages and the international foundations Operation Smile and Petra Nemcova's Happy Hearts Fund.
In September 2011, Forté's will begin releasing his first full-length album in 10 years, Water Light Sound. The album features collaborations with international stars John Legend, Natasha Bedingfield, Talib Kweli, HD Fre, AZ, Colin Munroe, and Valerie June. One of the tracks called “Your Side” (produced by Dallas Austin) was placed in EA FIFA World Cup 2010.
Water Light Sound will be launched in three vignettes. The first vignette "The Water Suite" will be made available to the public after an exclusive performance in Moscow on 27 September 2011, with Sunsay, an acclaimed artist from Ukraine with whom Forté collaborated on the hit single "Windsong." From Moscow, Forté will continue his promotional tour to such cities as Stockholm, London, Paris, and Casablanca. The two remaining vignettes will be launched over the following months.
Le Castle is also producing a number of collaborations for Forté with international artists. These projects will be released in the coming months.
Forté is also writing his memoir with Simon & Schuster. The book will be published along with a body of original music.
A documentary is currently in production that chronicles the uncanny and unique life of Forté from his urban plight out of one of New York's most impoverished ghettos, to the alabaster halls of New England Prep School Phillips Exeter Academy. From worldwide stardom with multi-platinum hip-hop group The Fugees, to an unlikely seven-year incarceration for a drug offense and later to a miraculous commutation by former President George Bush, the documentary specifically explores Forté’s return to society as a honed instrument for teaching and song and the acclimation process. The film is being directed by Darryl Phillips and produced by Aarti Tandon and Darryl Phillips.
Forté has been working with at-risk youth to deter them from drugs and crime. He has taught a music course to 12–15 year-old students with In Arms Reach, a Harlem-based initiative for children of incarcerated parents.
In addition to using his musical abilities to help spread a positive message to children, he has been working with a New York-based charity called Music Unites to promote the arts in underserved communities, where he educates students on his version of life, lessons learned, and the pursuit of happiness through music.
Forté has also been involved with various organizations dedicated to prison reform, mitigating prisoner recidivism, and reforming federal and state drug laws.
The Fugees
Fugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...
during the 1990’s, and has released four solo albums, including his most recent effort, Water Light Sound, released in September 2011.
Forté has collaborated with a range of diverse musicians and is known for a profound understanding and appreciation of a broad range of musical genres, spanning from hip hop to indie folk to classical music.
Forté is also Chief Executive Officer of Le Castle, a company he founded in 2011 to manage his upcoming projects in music, film and other creative fields.
Early Life (1975-1993)
Forté was born in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York, considered one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the USA. Forté excelled in school and studied classical violin, coming under the spell of Vivaldi [A]. Eventually he earned a full scholarship to Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, where he graduated in 1993.[1]After high school, Forté returned to New York City, enrolling in NYU as a music business major, where he roomed with rapper Talib Kweli, before dropping out to work as an artist & repertoire executive at Rawkus Records. [B] During his stay at NYU Forté met Lauryn Hill, she in turn introduced him to Wyclef Jean. Forté was invited to produce and perform on what would become one of the most renowned and highest selling hip hop albums of all time, The Fugees' The Score.
The Fugees Era (1994-1997)
Forté began his professional music career when he was introduced to The Fugees by Lauryn Hill in the early 1990s. He co-wrote and produced several songs on their multi-platinum and Grammy-winning 1996 album, The Score. At 21 years of age, Forté was nominated for a Grammy for his work on the album. He went on to tour all over the world with The Fugees, and lent production and vocal performances to 1997's Wyclef Jean Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars.Refugee Camp All-Stars (1997)
Forté partnered with former Fugee member, PrasPras
Prakazrel Samuel Michel, known as Pras, is a Grammy Award-winning Haitian-American rapper, actor, film producer, and member of the hip hop trio The Fugees.-Early life:...
, for the Top 40 hit single, Avenues
Refugee Camp All-Stars
Refugee Camp All-Stars was an American hip hop duo active in 1997, consisting of rappers John Forté and Pras.Despite releasing no studio albums under their own name, their single, "Avenues", became a Top 40 hit in the United States...
, from the Money Talks
Money Talks
Money Talks is a 1997 American comedy film directed by Brett Ratner, starring Chris Tucker and Charlie Sheen.- Plot :Franklin Hatchett is a car wash hustler, who gets dimed out to the police by an investigating news reporter named James Russell When placed on a prison transport unit, he is...
soundtrack.
PolySci (1998)
Forté released his debut solo album, Poly Sci in 1998, which was produced by Wyclef Jean. The album featured performances by Fat Joe, DMX, 20 Grand Pikasoe and Jeni Fujita, and exhibited the same intriguing mix of street and mainstream culture that helped The Fugees break new ground. It was met with critical acclaim but commercial disappointment, selling just under 100,000 copies, blamed in part on the fact that "the record's project manager quit Sony Music a week before the album was released, and Columbia RecordsColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
put little cash behind its promotional tour." Spin called it “a crush between academia and street life that’s utterly absorbing.”
I, John (2001)
In 2001, Forté released the well-received I, John, which was recorded while awaiting trial for a drug offense. Unlike his debut, this album takes a more serious approach to music-making. The second album featured guest appearances by Herbie Hancock, Esthero and Tricky, and included a duet with Carly Simon.Drug conviction (2001-2008)
In 2000, Forté was arrested at Newark International AirportNewark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
after accepting a briefcase containing $1.4 million worth of liquid cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
; he was charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute. He was convicted and sentenced to the mandatory minimum 14 years after being found guilty, and incarcerated at FCI Loretto
Federal Correctional Institution, Loretto
Federal Correctional Institution, Loretto is a U.S. federal prison near Loretto, Pennsylvania. It is a low-security facility housing male inmates. An adjacent satellite prison camp houses minimum-security male offenders....
, a low-security federal prison in central Pennsylvania.
Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
and her son Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor (musician)
Benjamin Taylor is a musician and actor. He is the son of folk rock artists James Taylor and Carly Simon. His sister, Sally Taylor, is also a musician. Ben Taylor bears a striking resemblance to his famous father and has a singing voice akin to him as well...
were advocates on Forté's behalf, believing he did not receive a fair trial; they fought for an appeal of the mandatory minimum drug laws that remove a judge’s discretion in a case. They met Forté through Taylor's cousin who was a classmate of Forté's at Phillips Exeter.. “Carly is a mentor to me, a guide, absolutely my spiritual godmother,” Forté has said.
With the help of Senator Orrin Hatch
Orrin Hatch
Orrin Grant Hatch is the senior United States Senator for Utah and is a member of the Republican Party. Hatch served as the chairman or ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1993 to 2005...
, Forté's prison sentence was commuted by President George W. Bush on November 24, 2008. He was released from prison four weeks later, on December 22.
Life After Prison (2008-2010)
Since leaving FCI Fort Dix on December 22, 2008, Forté has recorded over 50 songs, played over 100 shows, and engaged in various philanthropic endeavors.Soon after his release from prison, Forté recorded a cover of Kanye West's "Homecoming" with Talib Kweli. In the song, he discusses the issues surrounding his jail time. The music video was posted on Okayplayer.com on January 17, 2009. [1]
In 2009 he wrote various articles on TheDailyBeast.com [2] [3][4], and Okayplayer.com interviewed him as he began his teaching job at the City College of New York in late March 2009.
In July 2009, Forté released StyleFree, the EP, a body of work that provided social commentary combined with hope and inspiration. It allowed his audience to bear witness to the remaking of a man. The single off the EP, “Play my Cards For Me,” an audible reflection of his hip hop and R&B roots, was placed in the Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
/Common film “Just Wright
Just Wright
Just Wright is a 2010 romantic comedy film starring Common and Queen Latifah that tells the story of a physical therapist who falls in love with a pro basketball player. The film received mixed reviews.-Plot:...
" and the song "Nervous" was used in the film "Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming
Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming
Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming, the sequel to 2007's Stomp the Yard, is a 2010 direct-to-video drama film directed by Rob Hardy. The film is produced by Rainforest Films and released through Sony Pictures' Screen Gems division on October 12, 2010. The original release date was October 12, but the...
."
In January 2010, Forté's work was featured throughout the Sundance Film Festival, where, in addition to performing at the ASCAP Music Café, he scored all of the opening festival trailers, had the end credit song in the film “Night Catches Us” (featuring Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, with original music by The Roots), and participated in a unique audio and visual collaborative effort with Joe Gordon-Levitt at hitrecord.org.
In the spring of 2010, Forté and his band participated in a successful 15-city tour with K'Naan, Wale and Tabi Bonney.
2011-Present
Forté founded a production company called Le Castle in 2011 to manage the various projects that he has undertaken in music, film and other fields.In February 2011, Le Castle produced a 9-week tour through Russia. Titled "From Brooklyn to Russia with Love!", the tour took Forté and his band – including bassist Brian Satz, percussionist Ryan Vaughn and keyboardist Patrick Firth – across Russia, from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan and Ekaterinburg, and other smaller locales along the Trans-Siberia Railway. Among the artists with whom Forté collaborated in Russia were Sunsay, Natasha Bedingfield, Evgeny Margulis, Alina Orlova, Billy's Band, Zero People, uma2rman, Emch Subatomic, Sergei Skrypka's State Symphony Cinema Orchestra, Romario, and more. All proceeds from the tour were donated to local orphanages and the international foundations Operation Smile and Petra Nemcova's Happy Hearts Fund.
In September 2011, Forté's will begin releasing his first full-length album in 10 years, Water Light Sound. The album features collaborations with international stars John Legend, Natasha Bedingfield, Talib Kweli, HD Fre, AZ, Colin Munroe, and Valerie June. One of the tracks called “Your Side” (produced by Dallas Austin) was placed in EA FIFA World Cup 2010.
Water Light Sound will be launched in three vignettes. The first vignette "The Water Suite" will be made available to the public after an exclusive performance in Moscow on 27 September 2011, with Sunsay, an acclaimed artist from Ukraine with whom Forté collaborated on the hit single "Windsong." From Moscow, Forté will continue his promotional tour to such cities as Stockholm, London, Paris, and Casablanca. The two remaining vignettes will be launched over the following months.
Future Projects
Le Castle is currently finalizing a full length documentary film about the "From Brooklyn to Russia with Love!" tour, and an album of his collaborations with Russian artists. The film and album are scheduled for release in early 2012.Le Castle is also producing a number of collaborations for Forté with international artists. These projects will be released in the coming months.
Forté is also writing his memoir with Simon & Schuster. The book will be published along with a body of original music.
A documentary is currently in production that chronicles the uncanny and unique life of Forté from his urban plight out of one of New York's most impoverished ghettos, to the alabaster halls of New England Prep School Phillips Exeter Academy. From worldwide stardom with multi-platinum hip-hop group The Fugees, to an unlikely seven-year incarceration for a drug offense and later to a miraculous commutation by former President George Bush, the documentary specifically explores Forté’s return to society as a honed instrument for teaching and song and the acclimation process. The film is being directed by Darryl Phillips and produced by Aarti Tandon and Darryl Phillips.
Charitable Work
Forté frequently seeks to team up with charitable causes when performing on tour. In the spring of 2011, Forté undertook a 9-week performance tour through Russia. All proceeds from the tour were donated to local orphanages and the international foundations Operation Smile and Petra Nemcova's Happy Hearts Fund.Forté has been working with at-risk youth to deter them from drugs and crime. He has taught a music course to 12–15 year-old students with In Arms Reach, a Harlem-based initiative for children of incarcerated parents.
In addition to using his musical abilities to help spread a positive message to children, he has been working with a New York-based charity called Music Unites to promote the arts in underserved communities, where he educates students on his version of life, lessons learned, and the pursuit of happiness through music.
Forté has also been involved with various organizations dedicated to prison reform, mitigating prisoner recidivism, and reforming federal and state drug laws.
Discography
- Poly SciPoly SciPoly Sci is the debut album by rapper John Forté, released in 1998.- Track listing :#"Hot "#"They Got Me" #"Ninety Nine " #"God Is Love God Is War"#"We Got This"...
(1998) - I, JohnI, JohnI, John is the second album by rapper John Forté, released in 2002. It was released on an Indie label named Transparent. Recorded while he was awaiting sentencing for drug distribution charges, Forte took the opportunity to make the most introspective, reflective, and experimental music of his...
(2002) - Stylefree the EP (2009)
- Water Light Sound (2011)