John Singleton, the director behind the acclaimed Boyz n the Hood, passed away at Cedars-Sinai Hospital on April 29, after suffering a stroke a few days prior. He was 51.
Singleton made his directorial debut with the aforementioned Boyz n the Hood, and that has always remained his most beloved movie to date. The film, which starred Cuba Gooding Jr, Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut, and Laurence Fishburne, has a lasting legacy for its brutal depiction of growing up in South Central LA, and is still raved about to this day. The film earned singleton a Best Director nomination at the Oscars, as well as a Best Original Screenplay nomination.
Singleton’s second film was Poetic Justice, a romantic drama starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur. While the film didn’t reach the same critical acclaim that Boyz n the Hood reached, it went on to become a cult film thanks to Jackson and Shakur’s chemistry. Some have since gone on to say that despite the mixed reception, it is one of Singleton’s most enduring films.
The director’s third feature was Higher Learning, which saw him re-teaming with Hood stars Ice Cube and Laurence Fishburne, alongside Omar Epps, Jennifer Connelly, and Michael Rapaport. The film received the same mixed critical reception Poetic Justice did, though never reached the same cult status that the former did.
Rosewood, focusing on the 1923 Rosewood massacre in Florida, received critical acclaim, though it wasn’t as beloved by audiences as Boyz n the Hood was, and is an often forgotten entry in his filmography. Though the director would have a string of hits soon after, all of which received varied critical reception, with his update of the legendary Shaft as well as Baby Boy both gaining positive reviews, while 2 Fast 2 Furious and the Mark Wahlberg-led Four Brothers being more mixed-to-negative.
Singleton’s filmography unfortunately ends on a sour note, that being 2011’s Abduction, starring Taylor Lautner. The film was universally panned, with only mild praise going towards the action sequences, while the film’s story and performances were derided.
After Abduction, Singleton remained out of the spotlight for a few years before returning to direct a few episodes of various TV series, including Empire, American Crime Story, Billions, and Snowfall.
While Singleton’s filmography had varied degrees of success, Boyz n the Hood remains a modern masterpiece for its gripping coming-of-age story that’s still beloved by many to this day, and will surely continue to do so for generations to come.
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