The hip-hop producer and solo artist John Forté was born in Brooklyn, New York,
on January 30, 1975. Trained on the violin at a young age, he grew up
appreciating the music of Vivaldi, then pivoted toward hip-hop during his early
20s. His artistic breakthrough arrived in 1996, when he contributed to The
Fugees' Grammy-winning album, The Score, as both a co-writer and co-producer.
When The Fugees' three members launched solo projects the following year, Forté
worked on Wyclef Jean's double-platinum release Wyclef Jean Presents The
Carnival as a producer and backup vocalist, That s...