John Singleton's early life was marked by a unique upbringing, being the son of Danny Singleton, a mortgage broker, and Sheila Ward, a pharmaceutical company sales executive, who, despite being unmarried, shared parental responsibilities. This unconventional family dynamic resulted in Singleton being raised in separate households, a circumstance that would later influence his writing and provide a rich source of inspiration.
Singleton's academic pursuits led him to enroll in the Film Writing Program at the University of Southern California (USC) after completing high school in 1986. His time at USC was marked by significant success, as he went on to win three prestigious writing awards from the university, a feat that caught the attention of industry professionals and paved the way for a contract with Creative Artists Agency during his sophomore year.
The breakthrough that catapulted Singleton to prominence came when Columbia Pictures acquired the rights to his script, Boyz n the Hood (1991),with a budget of $7 million. Singleton has credited his parents with playing a crucial role in keeping him off the streets and providing a stable environment that allowed him to focus on his craft. The film, which explores the lives of young people growing up in South Central Los Angeles, is deeply personal and draws heavily from Singleton's own experiences, making it a powerful and poignant portrayal of life in the inner city.
