On This Day (July 2), in 1991, the classic coming-of-age film Boyz N the Hood premiered in Los Angeles, ten days before its wide theatrical release. The film sparked the career of writer/director John Singleton and featured Ice Cube in his first film role. It, along with films like Menace II Society, New Jack City, and Juice, helped to popularize the hood film subgenre in the early 1990s.
Videos by American Songwriter
Ice Cube had already made a name for himself as a rapper before principal photography started on Boyz N the Hood. He was one of the original members of the legendary rap group N.W. A and appeared on their 1989 debut studio album, Straight Outta Compton. Shortly after the album dropped, he left the group due to financial disputes and started his solo career. He released his solo debut, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, in 1990.
[RELATED: 4 Songs You Didn’t Know Ice Cube Wrote for Other Artists]
Singleton was a junior at USC and an intern on The Arsenio Hall Show when he met Ice Cube. The rapper was at the studio hoping to get N.W.A booked on the show. He then wrote the role of Doughboy for the rapper. The young director knew he would be perfect for the role.
Years later, Ice Cube’s manager approached him about being in a movie. Focused on growing his career, he agreed to audition for the role. However, he didn’t take it seriously. As a result, he bombed the first audition. Then, he admitted to Singleton that he hadn’t read the script. The writer/director urged him to go home, read the script, and try again.
“I read the script, and I had this epiphany. Like, ‘Oh sh*t, this is about our neighborhood. This is something I know I can do.’ So, when I went back in, I took it serious. From that day on, I’ve been taking filmmaking, acting, and auditioning serious,” Ice Cube told Howard Stern.
John Singleton Knew Ice Cube Would be Perfect for the Film
John Singleton and Ice Cube grew up in South Central Los Angeles. Both men experienced the poverty, violence, and gang culture of the area. So, when Singleton wrote Boyz N the Hood, he did so from experience. At the same time, when Cube stepped into the role of Doughboy, he was mirroring his early life.
“I wrote Doughboy with Cube in mind,” Singleton said. “It was a role intended for young Black men to see.”
Ice Cube discussed how the film paralleled his life in a 1991 interview with Entertainment Tonight. “Boyz N the Hood is not a documentary, but it’s so close to one,” he said. “It’s a movie about who we are. We love to see ourselves onscreen because it shows that what needs to be said is being said. … This is not Hollywood’s interpretation of what life is in South Central. This is a young brother from the streets who called it like he saw it.”
Boyz N the Hood Sparked Two Successful Film Careers
The success of Boyz N the Hood helped launch John Singleton’s career. He went on to write and direct several successful films, including Poetic Justice, Higher Learning, Shaft, and Baby Boy. Singleton also directed Four Brothers and 2 Fast 2 Furious.
His debut film brought him a pair of Academy Award nominations. He was nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. He was both the youngest person and the first Black person to earn a Best Director nomination.
This was the first of many film roles for Ice Cube. He has since appeared in dozens of movies, including Higher Learning, Anaconda, The Players Club, Three Kings, Are We There Yet, and the widely popular Friday franchise. He also took on directorial duties on The Players Club and an episode of the TV show 30 for 30 and served as a producer or executive producer on several films, including Straight Outta Compton.
Featured Image by Al Pereira/Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.