'Boyz n the Hood' director John Singleton dead at 51

New York: John Singleton, director of the iconic 1991 movie “Boyz n the Hood,” died Monday at the age of 51 after suffering a stroke, his family said in a statement to US media.

“Our hearts are heavier today... as we mourn this tremendous loss,” said the president of the Directors Guild of America, Thomas Schlamme, reacting to the news.

“Boyz n the Hood” — which described the gang-ridden neighborhood of Singleton’s childhood and which he directed aged 22 — won him an Oscar nod as best director, the first African American to achieve the distinction.