Writing concisely about John Forté? That’s like serving scrambled eggs and trying to pass them off as crème brûlée. I call John my godson. I first met him through Ben Taylor, my son, who conveyed all the buzz: Brooklyn-born Forté had worked with the Fugees and recorded a tour de force debut solo album. But then, life changed things. A 14-year prison sentence, on drug charges, came down on him, and I got involved, convinced the punishment was hugely unfair. Soon, my daily routine revolved around working for his freedom. And with the help of friends and Senator Orrin Hatch, of Utah, John was granted clemency by George W. Bush in 2008.

Since John’s release, after serving seven years, he has made up for lost time. Now 38, he performs regularly, has partnered with Sidney Garber to create a men’s jewelry line (proceeds to charity), and runs a multi-media company, Le Castle, with former Exeter classmate Christophe Charlier. He has helped produce compelling documentaries, most recently The Project, directed by Adam Ciralsky and Shawn Efran—premiering at this month’s Tribeca Film Festival—which follows a covert effort by an all-star cast of mercenaries to eradicate Somali pirates. And in his spare time? John wrote the anthem for the Brooklyn Nets. Through “Brooklyn: Something to Lean On,” people are in tune, night in and night out, with John’s spirit, his talent, his plight, and his triumph.