TIA: In 1997 the video game world was introduced to 'Grand Theft Auto,' the action adventure
series that lets players live out their wildest dreams, full of guns, robbery, and carjacking.
TIA: With all the crossover between the GTA franchise and hip-hop, we decided
to take a look at some of our favorite moments.
CJ: Aw, shit.
Here we go again.
TIA: In the 22 years since its release, we've seen over 10 different installments from the
GTA series.
TIA: We’ve also seen its influence on and appreciation of hip-hop, a feeling that’s
definitely been mutual.
JUICE WRLD: One of my favorite games coming up playing.
I used to sneak and play Vice City and San Andreas all the time.
TIA: Rap crew YBN was formed from GTA, when the group first linked up while playing online.
NAHMIR: We was playing the lil GTA IV and shit.
That’s when we was doing the competitive game on GTA IV...Like come home from school
or something or come home from playing outside and hop on the game.
TIA: Even Desiigner’s breakout hit, “Panda” came together because of the game.
ROB: I heard it was inspired at first by a video game?
DESIIGNER: Yeah, at first it was inspired by GTA. I'm in the crib...
ROB: Grand Theft Auto.
TIA: Sam and Dan Houser, the co-founders of Rockstar Games, started their careers scouting
talent at BMG Music before helping to start the series.
TIA: The game provides players with a vivid soundtrack to their adventures. With the music
on different cities’ radio stations repping their respective time periods and regions.
TIA: And the stations often showcased songs from newer and older artists alike.
METRO: Growing up, 'Grand Theft Auto' was everything.
Then I had a song on GTA V so it was just
like the craziest shit ever.
TIA: A number of rappers have been involved in making music specifically for the series
as well, including Tyler, the Creator and A$AP Rocky both of whom recorded songs for GTA V.
TIA: Over the years the games have spanned
a number of different areas, so we focused on Liberty City, San Andreas, and Vice City
for lyrical mentions.
TIA: The fictional city of San Andreas is loosely based
on the Southwest and Southern California.
TIA: Its radio stations often showcase the area’s West Coast hip-hop sound, and GTA
V’s Los Santos radio stations even included voiceover work from LA radio DJ Big Boy.
BIG BOY: Get that loveliness into your earholes right now, man you gotta keep it safe out there.
TIA: Hip-hop producer and West Coast legend DJ Pooh also makes an appearance on GTA radio
as well as serving as a writer, producer and consultant on the series.
POOH: Ayo we comin' at you live playin' nothing but the classics.
TIA: But by the numbers, San Andreas has the most mentions of any area of GTA in hip-hop lyrics.
TIA: San Andreas also gave us the Grove Street Families, which shares a name with the Waka
Flocka Flame affiliated clique from Atlanta.
TIA: There’s a few major characters from San Andreas who have been namedropped as well,
like Franklin from GTA V.
You are employee of the month. Anyway, congratulations.Wasn’t easy picking a winner.
TIA: There’s also CJ, originally from GTA: San Andreas.
Cj: It’s me, Carl! Chill! Chill!
Oooh my dawg!
TIA: CJ was voiced by real-life West Coast rapper Young Maylay, who dropped his project
‘San Andreas: The Original Mixtape’ in 2005 based heavily on the game.
TIA: San Andreas also featured the character Ryder, voiced by MC Eiht.
Many consider Ryder the in-game version of former N.W.A. member, Eazy E.
RYDER: It’s gonna take more than a bullet in the head to stop me.
Haha I don’t doubt that, homie.
TIA: While Eazy passed away 2 years before the release of the first game, ten years earlier,
on his 1987 track, “Boyz-N-The-Hood” he also happened to reference GTA, but in the
literal sense.
TIA: There’s also Madd Dogg, whose real life counterpart is up for debate, but was
voiced by West Coast rapper Ice-T. MADD DOGG: I don’t give a fuck no more!
My manager got killed, some asshole stole my rhymebook.
TIA: And of course, OG Loc.
TIA: Another notable character from San Andreas with some hip-hop mentions is Trevor, who arrived in GTA V.
TREVOR: My n-word! What's up?
TIA: Elsewhere in GTA, Vice City is the in-game world based on Miami.
It shares a title with one of the earliest songs released by the late Florida rapper
XXXTENTACION.
TIA: But the city is mentioned in a number of other MC’s bars as well.
TIA: And notable characters from Vice City have found their way into hip-hop too,
like Tommy Vercetti.
TIA: Liberty City is based on New York City, and out of all the areas
in Grand Theft Auto, it actually had the least number of mentions.
TIA: But Niko Bellic, a Liberty City resident from GTA IV, did manage to snag himself some.
TIA: Now, with details of GTA VI coming out, one thing we can expect for sure is a good soundtrack.
TIA: I’m Tia with Genius News bringing you the meaning and the knowledge behind the music.