ITP V.025 ONLY ONE PER COFFIN: R.I.P. PETER FLUID (24-7 SPYZ)

 

 

 

 PETER FLUID, a founding member of NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK rap/rock pioneers 24-7 SPYZ was found beaten to death in an ambulance he was driving in early January 2025. 

 

 

 

 

 

FROM FISHBONE: 

 Just stunned and saddened to hear the news of the violent and premature passing of Peter Fluid formally of 24- Spyz… Peter was one of a kind to say the least. Always brought his A game . Our thoughts are with his family.

 

 

FROM NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: 

 

Video shows man exiting Bronx ambulette before 24-7 Spyz singer Peter Forrest found dead inside Half an hour before Forrest was found beaten to death inside the ambulette he drove, a man exited and entered a waiting car, video shows. Read Story

 

Recently sprung ex-con accused of killing rocker Peter Forrest, leaving body in Bronx ambulette

The 29-year-old man accused of killing groundbreaking rocker Peter Forrest and leaving his body in the back of an ambulette in a remote section of the Bronx is an ex-con who was released from prison last summer, officials said Saturday.

FROM BLACK ROCK COALITION: 

 

BLACK ROCK COALITION OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON THE TRAGIC DEATH OF PETER 'P. FLUID' FORREST

OFFICIAL BLACK ROCK COALITION STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF PETER “FLUID” FORREST

The Black Rock Coalition (BRC) is stunned, confused, heartbroken and enraged upon hearing of Peter “P. Fluid” Forrest’s violent murder. We extend our most heartfelt sorrow and condolences to P Fluid’s family, the surviving members of 24-7 Spyz (Jimi Hazel and Rick Skatore), and our extended family of Black Rock Coalition members who knew the dynamic singer and frontman.

To be unequivocally clear, we received the news of P. Fluid’s death along with the rest of the world with the Daily News’ Tuesday, January 14, 2025 report, and we are still processing the matter in real time, struggling in efforts to get clear, accurate and definitive information. We have no more direct nor reliable details as anyone else, other than the News report, which is problematic in a few areas:

• Prior to the article’s publishing, at NO point did the News EVER contact P. Fluid’s family, surviving members of 24-7 Spyz, nor anyone in the Black Rock Coalition.

• The account given to the news appears to be based entirely on the statements of a reported former girlfriend, Chiedza Makonnen, f.k.a., Charmelle Dukes, whom we can attest had no direct or immediate knowledge of the band or the BRC’s inner workings.

• P. Fluid was not a founding member of the Black Rock Coalition as the piece states. He wasn’t involved in any aspect of the organization or its operations. Nor was 24-7 Spyz among the founding bands. They joined either in 1986 or 1987—a year or two after the BRC was founded—and were active members a little over a year. Spyz came back into the BRC fold in the mid-2000s, but Fluid was no longer in the band at that point.

• P. Fluid left 24-7 Spyz in 1990—he’d rejoin briefly in 1995 but soon parted company due to creative differences and was never active in the group thereafter. Fluid went on to form two other bands, P. Fluid and the P. Fluid Foundation, and blkvampires. He also co-founded a short-lived supergroup, featuring Corey Glover (Living Colour) and Angelo Moore (Fishbone) called AFC. But Fluid had no further connection to the BRC since the 90s.

Fluid was one of the most creative, charismatic, energetic and powerful frontmen in the business. His stage presence and dynamic personality were matched only by a rare few. His presence helped put 24-7 Spyz on the map as one of the most powerful bands in rock music and an essential part of the BRC family. He was a signature on two critical albums in the Spyz catalog, “Harder Than You” and “Gumbo Millennium.” But, in keeping with that creativity and intensity, Fluid was a complicated, at times difficult individual and to know him was to be challenged by him. Families are complicated and challenging—and you love them anyway. This is the reality of life.

That said, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE ON GOD’S EARTH deserves to be brutally crushed from existence the way Fluid was. No one in the BRC, in Spyz, nor in Fluid’s family has any knowledge of the circumstances leading to his death. We hope the additional spotlight of his past connections will hasten law enforcement to apprehend the perpetrators and bring justice and closure to Fluid’s family, blood and extended. We all stand firm and united in that demand.

Peter “P. Fluid” Forrest was an essential chapter to an essential band in the BRC’s history. P. Fluid was family, to 24-7 Spyz and the BRC. And we love him. We pray for him. We pray for his family. And we DEMAND justice.

 FROM 24-7 SPYZ:

Jimi Hazel here. I am stunned, saddened and angry that a senseless and selfish act committed by a so called human being took the life of my brother and former band mate, Peter "P-Fluid" Forrest. While there are times when you know death is imminent due to age or ailment, it's the ones that occur with no rhyme, reason or foresight that really leave you reeling. I found myself drifting in a sea of memories and nostalgia. Peter and I met once in the early '80's when he was in a band ("The Knights") and the horn section from my band ("Hot Ice") left and joined his band. Four years later and truly by happenstance, we bumped into each other down in the Village in '85 and we were both surprised to learn that we weren't the same people we were when we first met! In my case, the jheri curls were gone and a wicked pompadour was in it's place and Peter's natural had grown into a spiked flat top with frosted bronze tips! Our clothing also reflected the individuality we'd embraced and once the shock of seeing each other wore off, we were exited to discover that we were both still playing and writing songs! We exchanged phone numbers, met up to play music for each other and the seeds of an unnamed band became planted in fertile soil! In no time flat, the first line up of the band came together when Peter brought Kindu Smith in to play drums and I brought Rick Skatore in to play bass and once that happened, we began the process of naming the band! Peter said I had girls on my mind 24-7, 365 and that became the first half of the band's name, HAHAHA! Peter was enamored with James Bond and espionage, so the word spy was bantered about and what really made the difference was when the "z" was added because Rick slept a lot, HAHAHA! 24-7 SPYZ was born and because of the music we began creating, the meaning of the name quickly meant that 24 hours, 7 days a week, we were musical Spyz! Due to an unfortunate incident, Kindu wound up leaving the band and when we got Anthony Johnson to play drums, the stars aligned and the world would soon meet the band that proudly proclaimed where we came from with honor! A band like ours that was born, raised, nurtured and created in the "South Bronx" literally had journalists scratching their heads in astonishment because Rick, Anthony & I were real musicians with complete mastery of our instruments and Peter was a singer with a unique vocal style and a charismatic, dynamic and somewhat maniacal stage presence! The release of 1989's "Harder Than You" and 1990's "Gumbo Millennium" changed all of our lives and I am eternally grateful for the music that the four of us made and for what we accomplished. The relationship between Peter and I would become somewhat contentious at the beginning of 1990 and by the end of the year, he'd leave the band. Rick & I commenced to putting a new line up of the band together with Jeff Brodnax on vocals and Joel Maitoza on drums and we kept the music moving forward in a powerful way. We would eventually reform the original line up of the band in '94, but it wound up being an uneasy alliance and by '95, it was over. I totally understood and accepted that sometimes, you can't go home and Rick and I would forever view 24-7 Spyz as a musical entity that would never stop and with the late Carlton Smith, Tony Lewis, Tobias Anthony Ralph, Phil D Fish and the late Ronny Drayton, the love, brotherhood and family that is 24-7 Spyz continues to make music to this very day. While Peter and I would never speak again, I always had love in my heart for him and I always wanted him to succeed in any endeavors he chose to put his all and all into. He'd mentioned to Ray Anderson not long ago that he wanted to speak to me and also gave Rick major props for being the badass bassist he is. If he had called me, I would've answered. I have no idea what might've come from it, but I have a deep rooted feeling that the long overdue conversation we should've had would've been a beautiful thing. That's no longer a possibility and that hurts as much as it pisses me the fuck off. Peter was a brother, a father, an uncle, a grandfather and most of all, he was a human being and he didn't deserve what happened to him for ANY reason whatsoever. The only solace I have at this point is that the piece of shit that committed the crime has been captured and now, I'll pray that justice is swiftly carried out and dude never sees the light of day outside of a prison cell. My deepest condolences go out to his family and to all of the music lovers that were blessed to see us destroy stages nationally and internationally in '89, '90, '94 & '95. I'll add pictures to the thread and remember my complex brother the only way I know how and that's with love. I pray he's at peace and is enjoying the massive outpouring of love that is flowing like water from an open fire hydrant on a hot South Bronx summer day and he deserves all of it! And please, know that tomorrow isn't promised to ANY of us and if you need to make a long overdue phone call to begin the process of making things right with someone, PLEASE DO IT TODAY!!!!! Peter’s memorial will be held at the Ortiz funeral home at 2580 Grand Concourse (Bx) from 3pm-7pm on 1/29/25.

 

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-