If there was a common theme in the songs that musician John Forté performed during his CMJ showcase yesterday at NYC's Living Room, it was about finding oneself during life's trials. It is something that this artist certainly knows about very well from firsthand experience.

A rapper, producer and songwriter -- most notably for the Fugees' 1996 hit album 'The Score' -- Forté was arrested in 2000 on drug charges. He was later sentenced to 14 years in prison, seven of which he served before being pardoned by President George W. Bush last November. Recently Forté returned to music by releasing 'StyleFREE the EP.'

Sitting alone on a stool with an acoustic guitar in the Living Room's small performance space, Forté performed several semi-autobiographical songs, including a few from the EP. The intimate yet thought-provoking music was a blend of soul-meets-hip-hop with Forté offering both husky singing and rapping.

In his performance, Forté pulled no punches when it came to describing his feelings. On one of his new songs, 'Nervous,' he rapped: "I even smiled at my mugshot to catch the moment." Yet amid the sometimes gritty, hard-bitten nature of the songs is a life-affirming message, as was the case of the upbeat 'Play My Cards for Me.'

Toward the end of his set, Forté addressed the audience and briefly spoke about being from Brownsville, Brooklyn, hooking up with the Fugees, his incarceration and eventual release. He then launched into his final song 'Breaking of a Man,' in which he sang "The penalty for suffering can seem so hard/Dreaming the days when everything so dark." Forté's performance showed an artist reaching into his soul and finding enlightenment.