John Forté collabo! –with…Harry Belafonte? Not necessarily the Caribbean-American icon you expected the unofficial 4th member of The Fugees to be in the studio with. But that’s what this teaser video entitled “Summer Screen Test –Number 34″ (and received directly from Mr. Forté himself) appears to document. There isn’t always a reason to celebrate when boldface names from different lanes (or generations) come together in the name of art or the cause. Sometimes that cause is money or misguided idealism; sometimes people just need the added ‘oomph’ that comes from having another nig name next to theirs. But when you get something as cool as Harry Belafonte collaborating with my personal favorite ex-Fugee, (he had the best lines on Wyclef’s “We Trying to Stay Alive” in my opinion) you pay attention and listen.
In the 1:03 teaser video we see both artists in the studio with (Carly Simon‘s talented son and Forte’s brother from another) Ben Taylor, laying down vocals on what I can only describe as a gut-wrenching confessional, powered by two generations of struggle for peace, empowerment and global understanding. Belafonte’s low, almost whisper of a vocal following John Forte’s lead as they go through lyrics “If you wind up where I’m standing I’ll be gone/I just leave footsteps in the sand/stretching out across the land”).
Based on what we could glean from the video this is shaping to up be a really well aligned meeting of the minds. Two men, who know struggle and have enough stories between them to bridge the generational gap. Harry Belafonte, for those who might not remember is the first artist to ever sell a million copies, shipping 7-figure numbers of his 1956 LP Calypso and using the loot to help fund the MLK’s civil rights efforts. Aside from providing to the cause he was hands on enough to use his celebrity to bring awareness of the struggle directly to Bobby and John F. Kennedy. Pairing his life and struggles alongside those of John Forté–whose artistic output and collaborations over the last few years have been nothing short of profound and inspiring (catch up here)–makes this track in my opinion something to check for whenever it finally drops. The teaser does use the words ‘new album’ but no title follows so stay tuned to this channel as we’ll be sure to keep you posted on the collab and other updates related to the upcoming John Forté and Ben Taylor project.
