Celebrating John Singleton's Birthday: Ranking His Top 5 Movies
John Singleton
Aaron Rapoport/Corbis, via Getty Images
By: Omar Cook
It’s been 3 years since legendary filmmaker, John Singleton, died but his legacy continues to live on through iconic films and tv shows. John Singleton is responsible for directing some of the most iconic Black movies in history and in honor of his birthday, we’re doing the impossible and ranking his top 5 movies! Check out the list below!
1. Boyz N The Hood (1991)
Director John Singleton with Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, and Morris Chestnut filming Boyz N the Hood, in South-Central Los Angeles, 1990. FROM MPTVIMAGES.COM
This movie is an absolute cult classic and easily John SIngleton’s most memorable film. Boyz N The Hood was Singleton’s directorial debut, which starred some of Hollywood’s biggest Black stars early in their careers including Laurence Fishburne (Larry Fishburne at the time), Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut, Angela Bassett, and Nia Long.
2. Poetic Justice (1993)
Janet Jackson and Tupac in Poetic Justice
The chemistry between Tupac and Janet Jackson was second to none in this classic film featuring the two music legends. The storyline itself is fairly simple, but the acting and situations Singleton has the characters go through is top notch. The film shows an unlikely romance between a woman still grieving her boyfriend who was murdered, and postal worker with a bit of an edge. Poetic Justice is a movie that will stand the test of time. The film also features Regina King and Joe Torry.
3. Higher Learning (1995)
Omar Epps, Richard D. Alexander, Ice Cube and Busta Rhymes in John Singleton’s Higher Learning. (Eli Reed / Columbia Pictures)
This movie was well needed for the time, showing racial tensions on a college campus as well as students struggling to find their identities. Featuring an all star cast with Omar Epps, Laurence Fishburne, Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes, Tyra Banks, and Regina King, Higher Learning set a new standard for how college movies should look. Singleton touched on real issues surrounding college students which ultimately made the film extremely relatable, no matter what time period you watch the film.
4. Baby Boy (2001)
Taraji P. Henson and Tyrese Gibson in Baby Boy
It’s hard to deny the impact Baby Boy has had on Black culture, especially seeing how many times BET chooses to keep it in rotation. This coming of age film featuring an African American man in Los Angeles, showed the daily struggles he went through to mature, provide for his family, and navigate his personal and family relationships. Tyrese and Taraji P. Henson will forever be remembered for their performances in this movie as they portrayed the chaos in this film perfectly. The cast also featured other stars including Ving Rhames, A.J. Johnson, Snoop Dogg, and Omar Gooding.
5. 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
Photo: Universal Pictures
As many Fast and Furious movies as there is, 2 Fast 2 Furious is arguably the best film in the series. This high tempo, crime drama, car racing film featured non stop action and drama. Starring Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, and Ludacris, 2 Fast 2 Furious will go down in history.
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