John Singleton changed the world with Boyz n the Hood John Singleton changed the world with Boyz n the Hood When John Singleton snagged two Oscar nominations in 1992 for writing and directing his debut feature Boyz n the Hood , he made history twice over. At 24, he was the youngest nominee in Oscar history. And for the first time in its 64 years, the Academy had finally nominated an African-American filmmaker for Best Director. But Singleton — who died April 29 at age 51, almost two weeks after suffering a debilitating stroke — was no flash in the pan. And though he rose to early fame, in the 27 years following his historic nominations, the director, writer, and producer went on to do something even more significant: He kept making good movies. And with his films, he endeavored to do something that was radical in Hollywood then, and still radical in Hollywood now: Telling black stories to America. related video Singleton shifted Amer...