John Singleton and his muse Janet Jackson filming Poetic Justice in California during the L.A Riots

John Singleton and his muse Janet Jackson filming Poetic Justice in California during the L.A Riots in April of 1992. Despite her privilege Poetic Justice amplified Janet’s interest in learning more about herself and what it meant to be an African American woman in America. This was the genesis of her tracing her roots and grounding herself in more political songs (“New Agenda feat Chuck D”)

John Singleton spoke on where Janet Jackson came up with the concept for her now iconic braids in an interview with Essence recently:

http://www.essence.com/2013/07/23/exclusive-john-singleton-20th-anniversary-poetic-justice-working-janet-jackson-and-tupac/