John Singleton, maker of ‘Boyz N the Hood,’ dies at 51

Academy Award-winning Director John Singleton, best known for directing Boyz N the Hood, has passed away. He died in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and friends.

John Singleton was only 24 years old when he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for Boyz N the Hood. Singleton was the first black director and also the youngest person to have ever been nominated for that award. Many of his films depicted the violence among African Americans growing up in South Los Angeles. His films included Poetic Justice, Higher Learning, Baby Boy, Hustle & Flow and 2 Fast 2 Furious, just to name a few. Each film featured a predominating black cast.

Boyz N The Hood was based on Singleton’s upbringing and was shot in his old neighborhood. The film was considered a “low-budget production” but was a critical and commercial success. The film was praised as a groundbreaking extension of rap to the big screen, a raw and compassionate take on race, class, peer pressure and family. The film would help launch the careers of Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ice Cube’s acting career. In 2002, Boyz N the Hood was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Many actors, actresses, and filmmakers in Hollywood praised the filmmaker on his legacy of films.

Star Samuel L. Jackson said, “blazed the trail for many young filmmakers,” while “always remaining true to who he was and where he came from.”

Ava DuVernay called him “a giant among us.”  Spike Lee said, “We’ll miss you but your films will live on.”

Jordan Peele, the Oscar-winning “Get Out” and “Us” filmmaker, called him “a brave artist and a true inspiration.”

Ice Cube praised Singleton for his “love for the black experience” and saying he would “never be the man I am without knowing you,”

Singleton had been in intensive care in a Los Angeles hospital since he had a stroke on April 17. He was reported to be in a coma but was later stated otherwise by his daughter. On Monday, April 29th, Singleton was removed from life support and died at the Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, California. John Singleton is survived by his parents and his five children.