by John Bush
The first non-Fugee signed to the trio's Refugee Camp label, John Forté met the group through vocalist Lauryn Hill early in the '90s, before the Fugees had even signed a recording contract. Also of Haitian descent, Forté worked on production for their breakout album, 1996's The Score, and also toured as part of Wyclef Jean's solo project, the Refugee Camp Allstars.

Forté debuted with the 1998 album Poly Sci and the single "Ninety Nine," before disappearing from the music scene for approximately four years. He returned with an introspective album titled I, John on a new record label. Unlike his debut album, which had featured assistance from the Fugees, this follow-up featured not a single Fugee. Instead, Forté worked with co-writer Joel Kipnis and such accomplished artists as Tricky, Esthero, and Herbie Hancock.