John Singleton

John Daniel Singleton (January 6, 1968 – April 28, 2019) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Singleton made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed movie Boyz n the Hood (1991), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director, thereby making history as the youngest person and the first African American ever to have been nominated for that award. His subsequent filmography includes Poetic Justice (1993), Higher Learning (1995), Rosewood (1997), Shaft (2000), Baby Boy (2001), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) and Four Brothers (2005). He also made a notable contribution to television; co-creating the TV series Snowfall and directing several episodes of different shows. Singleton was regarded as a pioneer of African-American cinema. His works focused on themes reflecting the African-American urban experience such as black masculinity, trauma, racism and identity. Singleton spent the later years of his career in television, forging a transition from film. He worked on critically acclaimed TV shows Empire, American Crime Story and co-created and executive produced the crime drama series Snowfall for FX which premiered in 2017.

Born in Los Angeles and the son of a pharmaceutical sales executive and a real estate agent, Singleton grew up amidst a dearth of white people in a predominantly black neighborhood. He attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts, graduated from USC in 1990 and commenced his early career as a filmmaker in 1991 with the film debut Boyz n the Hood. His career is characterized by a formidable blend of commercial success and critical acclaim. Singleton's works encompassed a distinct hip-hop aesthetic and he routinely cast rappers and musicians in prominent roles in his films. Despite several challenging incidents in his personal life, Singleton continued to create art that resonated with audiences and critics alike, thereby cementing his legacy in American cinema. He passed away in 2019, but his influential work continues to inspire filmmakers around the world.