Summary
Some background details inGrand Theft Auto 5reveal that one of CJ’s ploys inGTA: San Andreasended up working out in the long term. While a lot of things changed about Los Santos in the 20-year gap in the timeline betweenSan AndreasandGrand Theft Auto 5, some hints of CJ’s past still exist. Even though there aren’t a lot of details regardingSan Andreasthat end up in the story, sharp-eyed players will be able to recognize a few references.
The news ofGTA 5returning to San Andreaswas one of the game’s big selling points. After all, at the timeGrand Theft Auto: San Andreaswas considered to be arguably the best game in the series, with many fans still holding it in high regard. With the focus on a new storyline,Grand Theft Auto 5ended up giving players an almost completely new look at San Andreas compared to the titular game. While they did touch base on some familiar spots, most notably the famous Grove Street that CJ once called home, a lot of the game was centered on newer experiences.
RELATED:GTA 6 Could Take One GTA 5 Staple to The Next Level
CJ Really Saved Madd Dogg’s Career in GTA: San Andreas
One infamous plotline fromSan Andreasfeatures one ofGrand Theft Auto’s most annoying characters, OG Loc. Being friends from childhood, CJ goes out of his way to help Loc try to earn a rap career despite his lack of talent. This eventually leads to CJ ruining the career of successful rapper Madd Dogg, and Loc pays CJ back by abandoning him at the first opportunity. Feeling guilty, CJ eventually saves Madd Dogg’s life and helps him get revenge on Loc. By the end of the game, with CJ’s help, Madd Dogg’s career seems to be back on track, while Loc’s fame falls off.
Madd Dogg’s career may not be discussed in great detail, but players can find some hints inFranklin’s house inGTA 5that can paint a picture. As early as the aftermath of Franklin’s first mission, a Madd Dogg poster can be seen in his room. When he moves into a fancier home later in the storyline, he brings the poster with him, along with a poster from one of Madd Dogg’s tours as well as tickets stubs from one of his live concerts. Franklin’s not the only Madd Dogg fan either, as Jimmy has some of his CDs in his room.
While these details sound like they could be merely circumstantial, it becomes more convincing when one takes into account how muchtime has lapsed betweenGTA 5andSan Andreas' setting of 1992. Franklin was born in 1988, and assuming that he was at least 18 when went to the concert that the ticket stubs came from, Madd Dogg must have still been actively touring until at least around 2006, 14 years after the events ofSan Andreas. If Madd Dogg remained popular for so long, then CJ’s revival of his career must have been a smashing success, especially considering theGTAworld’s unpredictable nature.
Considering how much he lost, as well as the fact that he doesn’t even live on Grove Street by the time ofGTA 5, CJ’s adventure can often feel thankless. WhileGTA: San Andreascan be a tough challenge, the knowledge that at least one of CJ’s endeavors had a lasting effect can be good to see.
Grand Theft Auto 5is available now for PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
