What were John Singleton’s most famous movies as the director dies aged 51?

Tributes have been pouring in after film director John Singleton died aged 51 following a stroke.

The Hollywood filmmaker had been in a medically-induced coma after falling ill on 17th April, with his family making the difficult decision to take him off life support on Monday.

They said in a statement: ‘We are sad to relay that John Singleton has died. John passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends.

‘We want to thank the amazing doctors at Cedars-Sinai Hospital for their expert care and kindness and we again want to thank all of John’s fans, friends and colleagues for all of the love and support they showed him during this difficult time.’

Singleton originally found fame in the early 90s after becoming the youngest person ever to be nominated for a best director Oscar, and the first African-American to be nominated for the award, for his debut movie Boyz n’The Hood.

Here’s a look back at that and some of his other best-known movies.

Boyz n’The Hood (1991)

Singleton’s first film, which established him as a directing force to be reckoned with, is a powerful drama about three friends growing up in the Crenshaw area of Los Angeles and the paths their lives take – with a cast that features the likes of Cuba Gooding Jr, Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne and Ice Cube. The director based the film on his own life and the lives of other people he knew – landing himself an Oscar nominations in the process and a ton of critical acclaim.

Poetic Justice (1993)

Singleton’s second film stars Janet Jackson as the title character, a poet struggling to come to terms with the death of her boyfriend, who finds potential new love in the shape of postal clerk Lucky (played by Tupac Shakur). The film got mixed reviews, but both Jackson and Shakur won praise for their performances.

Higher Learning (1995)

This one centred on a trio of students – played by Omap Epps, Kristy Swanson and Michael Rapaport – at the fictional Columbus University, with each of them leading very different lives as they adapted to college life.

Rosewood (1997)

Singleton’s 1997 drama is based on true events, as it recounts the 1923 massacre at Rosewood – a Florida town with a largely black population – at the hands of a white mob. The film – which won Singleton some of his best reviews since Boyz n The Hood – has an impressive cast which includes Ving Rhames, Jon Voight and Don Cheadle.

Shaft (2000)

Singleton ventured into blockbuster territory for this remake of the 1971 classic, with Samuel L Jackson as the titular NYPD detective, investigating a racially motivated murder. Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale, Dan Hedaya and Busta Rhymes join Jackson in the cast of the movie, which scored with both critics and viewers, becoming one of Singleton’s biggest box office hits.

Baby Boy (2001)

Singleton followed Shaft with this South Central-set story of a 20-year-old unemployed bike mechanic (Tyrese Gibson) living with his mother, who has to grow up and become a responsible adult for the sake of his family and his two children. The film was originally meant to star Tupac Shakur, with Gibson taking the lead following the rapper’s death in 1996.

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

While he might have won critical acclaim a-plenty for his movies, Singleton also had the chance to direct the 2003 follow-up to The Fast and The Furious – a franchise that just keeps on going to this day and raking in the box office numbers.

Abduction (2011)

Singleton’s final movie, made in 2011, is an action thriller featuring Twilight’s Taylor Lautner, as a man who discovers his photo on a missing persons’ website – and sets out to find the truth about his life.