Source: ditcradio.com

If there’s anything we can learn from the making of “Boyz N The Hood,” it’s that you should never underestimate a person with a dream. Singleton was fresh out of college when he was shopping the script for this film around. Hollywood tried to get over on him since he was a newbie, but the man, though young, was no fool. Looking at all the odds John Singleton had stacked up against him, it’s amazing that his film was made and that it became such a commercial and cultural success. The movie, that only cost around $6 million to produce, eventually earned $60 million during its run in the box office, earning the young director a million dollar bonus.  Singleton has described the film as a “time capsule of what Los Angeles was 20 years ago.” The fact that this movie is still lauded as a classic, 21 years later, just goes to show you how smart and powerful this film was and how right Singleton was in his assessment.

As sad as Boyz n the Hood was for me, it’s a must see not only because it’s a classic, but because of Morris Chestnut’s fine behind! His first film role had the ladies swooning (and crying at his ending on screen), and since then, the hot factor has just increased with age. He’s a throwback hottie because everyone’s big sisters and even mothers were checking for Chestnut, but the question is, are you still checking for him now? Get a glimpse at his beauty over the years and let us know if you’re still down!

It’s been 20 years since Boyz N The Hood hit the big screen and completely changed our collective expectations of Black film and its place in Hollywood. The writer, producer and director of the film, John Singleton, was only 22 when he made the film and at 24, he became the youngest and first African-American to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Director.

When Singleton emerged, only one other Black filmmaker was a household name (Spike Lee). Today, there are only a few more that can command the power to get a film greenlit including Antoine Fuqua and Tyler Perry.

Although Boyz N The Hood was his most critical film, Singleton has continued to make strides and has had a pretty illustrious career. Here, in honor of the anniversary of his debut film, we highlight a few of his other notable moments.