Multiple reports confirm the unfortunate news of the passing of a rock singer from the 1980s at the age of 64.
The New York Daily News reported that Peter Forrest, also known as 24-7 Spyz leader P. Fluid, passed away on Monday following a beating in an ambulette bus in the Bronx. According to officials with the New York Police Department, the front door window had been broken, and Forrest was lying face down in a pool of blood.
The NYPD confirmed on Wednesday that Forrest died of injuries from “trauma around the body” and that the incident is being investigated as a homicide.
According to News 12 The Bronx, they have obtained surveillance footage showing a man exiting the ambulette and getting into a waiting car. The incident occurred on Monday morning in a remote area. The body of the victim, Forrest, was later discovered by a coworker who noticed he had missed scheduled pickups. The coworker used GPS to locate the vehicle, as reported by the Daily News.
Forrest was employed as a driver at Marquis Ambulette, a company located in Long Island.
Rolling Stone reports that in the ’80s and early ’90s, Forrest was a member of the band 24-7 Spyz, also known as P. Fluid. The band, which was associated with the Black Rock Coalition, included other black rock artists such as Living Colour and Fishbone.
The Spyz combined elements of rock, hardcore, metal, punk, and funk music, and achieved their greatest success with a rendition of Kool and the Gang’s “Jungle Boogie.” P. Fluid’s contribution to the group’s sound was instrumental in shaping the rap-rock genre that gained popularity in the 1990s. He featured prominently on the band’s initial two albums, “Harder Than You” (1989) and “Gumbo Millenium” (1990), but surprised fans by announcing his departure during the 1990 tour alongside Jane’s Addiction.
According to Rolling Stone, 24/7 Spyz continues to perform to this day, albeit with a different lineup. The band is now led by founding guitarist Jimi Hazel and bassist Rick Skatore. Forrest briefly reunited with the Spyz in 1995 and has also been involved in other musical projects, including the P. Fluid Foundation, AFC (alongside Corey Glover of Living Colour and Angelo Moore), and the goth band BlkVampires.
“What an interesting dude,” Hazel told Rolling Stone. “I’m grateful to him because if we had not met up on the street in 1986, 24/7 Spyz would not have happened. You either loved him or hated him, but if you loved him, you loved him unconditionally. He was a motherf—er, but he was a good motherf—er.”
According to the Daily News, no arrests have been made yet and the investigation is still ongoing.
