John Singleton’s brilliance was evident very early in his filmmaking career. He burst onto the scene with his directorial debut of Boyz n the Hood after penning the screenplay in the USC computer lab for his film school thesis. After nearly three decades of movie magic, his career came to a tragic and untimely end.

I still remember exactly how I felt after I first watched Boyz n the Hood as a teenager. I was completely entranced by the authenticity of the story.

One of the most powerful scenes to me was the speech by Furious Styles (played by Laurence Fishburne) on gentrification and guns in Black neighborhoods, and how the system is structured for young Black men to fail. This, together with the themes of police brutality, gun violence, and the struggle for education equality are still prevalent today.

He had created a masterpiece. At just 24 years old, Boyz n the Hood made Singleton both the youngest filmmaker and the first Black filmmaker to receive an Academy Award nomination for best director. A win for best director by a Black person has yet to happen, but he undoubtedly paved a way. Since his 1992 nomination, Lee Daniels, Steve McQueen, Barry Jenkins, Jordan Peele and Spike Lee have all been nominated.

Singleton’s commitment to telling genuine stories about Black culture and highlighting narratives that have not been told before set him apart from everyone. He has candidly stated in many interviews that he would not allow white executives to dictate the stories that he was here to tell. This confidence paired with his unparalleled talent made him an unstoppable force in Hollywood.

Singleton contributed so much to the culture, not only through his powerful stories but also through his introduction of so many incredibly talented actors. Boyz n the Hood was the first film for Regina King, Morris Chestnut and Ice Cube. It was the first major film role for Cuba Gooding Jr. and Angela Bassett. In 1993 Singleton wrote and directed Poetic Justice, the unforgettable pairing of Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur. Shakur was set to star in Singleton’s Baby Boy until his untimely death in 1996. The film was released in 2001 and starred musician turned actor Tyrese Gibson, and was the film debut for actress Taraji P. Henson. Singleton certainly had a keen eye for talent. He worked with many actors on several different films making their careers indivisible from his legacy.

He showed no signs of slowing down. He also directed films Higher Learning(1995); Shaft (2000); 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003); and Four Brothers (2005) to name just a few. While his resume seems endless, it still felt like he had so much more to give us.

One of his last projects was the FX drama Snowfall, which he co-created, directed and executive produced. The series is set in the 1980s and depicts the cultural effects of the crack epidemic in Los Angeles. Snowfall was renewed for a third season last year and they are currently still filming.

Singleton has left an undeniable legacy. As a writer and aspiring filmmaker myself, he ignited a spark in me. I once heard him say in an interview “write about what you know.” That stuck with me. He was from Los Angeles and he wrote about his life experiences as well as those of his friends. He brought to the forefront issues in his community that needed to be seen. He wrote his truth. That authenticity was his greatest asset and he will be sorely missed.

Rest in Power John Singleton.

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