Rapper and former Fugees producer John Forté was one of 14 people pardoned by President Bush on Monday, according to Reuters. He had been serving a sentence of 14 years in prison since 2001, after being found guilty of possession of 31 pounds of liquid cocaine with intent to distribute.
Forté -- who studied violin at the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire as a youth -- co-wrote and produced two songs on the Fugees' Grammy-winning 1996 smash, The Score. Two years later, he released his debut, Poly Sci, on which Fugees member Wyclef Jean has an executive-producer credit.
Forté was arrested in 2000 at Newark International Airport after accepting a briefcase containing $1.4 million worth of cocaine. He released his confessional second album, 2002's I, John, while already serving his sentence at Pennsylvania's Lorreto Federal Penitentiary.
I, John featured an unexpected duet with '70s legend Carly Simon on "Been There, Done That," which came about through Forté's friendship with Simon's son, Ben Taylor. Simon and Taylor have long advocated on Forté's behalf, arguing that the MC did not receive a fair trial and that his sentence was unfair considering it was his first offense and he was a nonviolent offender.
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Celebs and the Law
Comments (1)
That doesn't look like John... (Below threshold)1. Posted by candygirl | December 1, 2008 1:06 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
That doesn't look like John Forte'.
1. Posted by candygirl | December 1, 2008 1:06 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 1, 2008 13:06