Launching earlier this year, the Contract expansion forGrand Theft Auto 5brought fans a vast array of new content. From new guns to use inGrand Theft Auto Online, to a new set of missions featuringFranklin from the initialGrand Theft Autocampaign mode, there was plenty for players to discover in the latest content update for the game. One thing fans may not have expected was an extended appearance by prominent rapper and businessperson Dr. Dre.
Dr Dre initially appeared in the Cayo Perico heistin a small cameo. In Contracts, his role was extended, as he appeared as a more prominent figure in the story. As Dr. Dre is a well-known celebrity, a few wondered how he became so involved in a video game, especially when fans learned about the acclaimed rapper making a whole EP of music for the game. Dr. Dre hadn’t released an album since 2015 by the time he was making music forGrand Theft Auto 5.
RELATED:GTA Online Reveals Latest Business Bonuses
Now, Rockstar has revealed how they got the rap legend so involved inGrand Theft Auto. As with many unexpected events, it all began with an unusual connection. DJ Pooh, who acts as the radio presenter for the West Coast Classicsradio station inGrand Theft Auto 5, is a longtime friend of Dr. Dre. According to Rockstar North’s Head of Development Rob Nelson, Pooh is how the studio got in touch with Dr. Dre.
DJ Pooh was already a creative consultant and writer forGTA 5. He had some high praise for Rockstar as well, saying that it reminded him of Def Jam back in the day. Pooh went onto explain how buying a Rockstar game was like buying a Def Jam record. “You would pick up a record and just buy it because it had [the] Def Jam [logo] on it,” said DJ Pooh. “You knew it was going to be quality. You knew that was going to be dope. You knew it wasn’t going to be wack. And I felt like that about [Rockstar’s] games and [its] quality.”
DJ Pooh then explained how he went to Dr Dre’s house and brought over a copy ofGrand Theft Auto 5. According to Pooh, by showing off all the things he could do in the game and all that Rockstar’s latest modern open-world action title had to offer, Dr. Dre was convinced to work on the game. The fans have seemingly loved Dr. Dre’s appearance inGrand Theft Autoand his contributions to it as well, as oneGTA Onlineplayer customized their license plate to thank the rapper.
Grand Theft Auto 5is out now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
