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me the sides and I was like, Boyz n the Hood? Really? Another White man trying to tell our stories.” Upon meeting the director however, she was shocked to see the energetic Black man and leapt at the chance to be in the film. The gamble paid off, literally. Boyz N the Hood grossed nearly ten times its budget and appealed equally to Black and White audiences—a rarity in the marketplace, especially for a film starring a nearly all-Black cast. The film would go on to garner two nomi- nations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Singleton’s success placed him on a short list of directors who were motivated by telling authentic stories of being Black in America. He was friends with his men- tor, Gordon Parks, as well as Spike Lee with whom he shared a special bond. He parlayed his triumph with Boyz N the Hood into deals for two more features set in his native Los Angeles. “Poetic Justice” featured Janet Jackson as the title character, accompanied by her romantic
film writing program. It was here that he began shaping the script that would later become the breakout hit, Boyz N the Hood. Singleton served as president of USC’s Black Student Union. As a friend related in Singleton’s memorial service, their shared house was home to many social functions that unified the small, but strong Black student body on campus. From a fraternity perspective, it wasn’t long before Single- ton represented the Bond on the national stage. He appeared, cane in hand, in a commercial for Burger King. It was a rare moment in front of the camera for the nascent filmmaker. Singleton’s road to achievement as a writer and director began in his senior year. He had already interned with Paramount Studios, and many advisors on campus had circulated his script, creating buzz across Hollywood. As explained by long-time production partner, Stephanie Allain, “John Singleton walked into my office with a mis-
sion to bring a New Deal to Hollywood.” At 22 years of age, he was awarded a production deal with Columbia Pictures for Boyz, with the non-negotiable point that he would also direct it. The idea of an untested director, helming a film for a major studio is rare enough. But consid- ering that the director was also a first- time writer, and had barely graduated college, and was a young, Black man was nearly inconceivable. Further, he was an- choring his film with performances from acting newcomers and relative unknowns like Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut and Nia Long. Singleton com- mented about the mandate that he direct Boyz N the Hood. “I’m a writer first, and I direct in order to protect my vision. It’s my story, I lived it. What sense would it have made to have some white boy impose his interpretation on my experi- ence?” Actress Nia Long was especially wary after reading the script, “My agent gave
Publishing achievement for 105 years
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