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.
