john daniel singleton (january 6, 1968 – april 28, 2019) was an american movie director, screenwriter, and producer. he was best known for directing "boyz n the hood" (1991). he was nominated for the academy award for best director, becoming the first african american and youngest person to have ever been nominated for the award, at age 24. his other works included "poetic justice" (1993), "higher learning" (1995), and "baby boy" (2001).