On the town in Milwaukee: Forte re-emerges at Shank Hall with "StyleFREE the EP"

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The story is something out of a Hollywood movie. John Forte, formerly the producer for the Fugees, spent the last seven years in prison, after being convicted of carrying two suitcases full of 1.4 million dollars in liquid cocaine.

With singer Carly Simon and her son, Ben Taylor, petitioning on his behalf, President George W. Bush authorized Forte’s early release in 2008. His 14 year sentence, which began in 2000 at age 26, was the effect of mandatory minimum sentencing law, employed more and more to retain minority, non-violent offenders in the criminal justice system.

Forte, emerging from a world of captivity and isolation, got back into the studio and turned trauma into music.

The difference in his voice and sound between "Polysci," his first solo album released just before his imprisonment and "StyleFree the EP" is palpable. No longer playing into the scene or catering to specific trend, Forte’s work and more specifically, his voice is beautiful.

There is no anger in his voice or contempt for the faulty workings that put him behind bars for years. Instead, he appreciates the insight that time away afforded him. He sees both his current place and the long road that’s led him here, as an evolving part of his being; noting that only now he is able to separate the person he once perceived himself to be from the person he truly is.

Since his release, Forte has used "The Daily Beast," a New York based magazine as an outlet for his memoir-like writings to publicly surface. In 2009, he landed a teaching job at the City College of New York.

Just in time for his show this Sunday at Shank Hall, we chatted with John Forte about his new album, life since his release and the promise of an upcoming full-length album.

Maureen Post: What would you say most shaped the lyrics and sound of "StyleFREE?"

John Forte: The lyrics from "StyleFREE the EP" came from an honest inner-dialogue that began during my time away.  This was when I realized that I would rather ask myself the difficult questions rather than distract myself with trivial and mundane matters.  The lyrical litmus test for me became one of utility, i.e., if I were given a tiny window to open my mouth and to be heard, what would be worth saying?"

MP: Obviously, it’s been several years since "Polysci" but the sound on "StyleFREE" is very different.

JF: "StyleFree the EP" was produced with melody and rhythm and mind.  I wanted to give people something they could hold - an alluring chorus - along with something they could feel - percussive remnants from that golden era of hip hop in the 90s.  I wanted to marry the two as an ode to where I've been and where I would like to be.

MP: Are you currently working on another full-length album?

JF: The music from the forthcoming album "WATER, LIGHT, SOUND" is organic and acoustic-driven, somewhat similar to the live performance.  I left a great deal of space in the music's production in order to give the lyrics and the voice room to breathe rather than forcing a cacophony of sound onto the listener's sensibilities.

MP: You went from finding great success with the Fugees and launching a solo career to being sentenced to 14 years in prison. How has your experience over the last 10 years changed you as a musician?

JF: Making the transition from "riding high" to being sentenced to a 14-year prison term was cathartic unto itself, albeit not necessarily instantaneous.  And then to be given the opportunity to return to the world earlier than everyone had anticipated, well, that provided even more fodder for creativity.  

MP: Were you able to find a way of nourishing your creativity while in prison?

JF: During my time in prison, I learned how to play the guitar - enough to accompany myself.  Ironically, that newfound self-containment gave me a sense of liberty I had never known.  As a writer and a producer, I feel like I speak the language of music better now than I did 10 years ago.  Speaking a language, however, in no way guarantees one will speak with eloquence.  I am a work in progress.

MP: How much of "StyleFREE" was written while you were in prison? How long ago did you begin this work?

JF: Years ago!  I started writing "StyleFREE the EP" before I knew it existed.  With the exception of "The Best That Love Could Be" (featuring Ben Taylor), all of the songs were written before my release from prison.

MP: You were released less than two years ago. What prompted you to get back into the studio so soon after your release?

JF: I wrote volumes of music during the time I was away.  The music had a weight on my being.  That weight was a magnificent thing, keeping me grounded and focused on the day-to-day workings of living in the absence of my family and loved ones.  Upon my return to "the free world," I had a visceral need to record the music, lighten the load of my spirit and finally share it with the people who inspired the art in the first place.

MP: On the album, you go back and forth musically from a very intense sound to something coming out of a place of acceptance and serenity. Is this intentional? Have you found a sense of release or closure with finalizing this album?

JF: I suspect there is always a sense of closure with the delivery of any artistic project.  "StyleFREE the EP" and "WATER, LIGHT, SOUND" are both products of my newest state of being.  I accept my vulnerability in both of these endeavors.  Anything less would seem disingenuous.  So I'm going with it and trusting that everything does, in fact, happen for a reason.  I need the music to tell the story that the individual never could on my own.

Forte plays Sunday night at Shank Hall, 1434 N. Farwell Ave. Show starts at 8 p.m.; tickets are $10.