Who was CJ based on GTA?

CJ, also known as Carl “CJ” Johnson, was based on Young Maylay, a Los Angeles-based rapper and actor, who also provided the character’s voice and motion-capture work for the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The physical appearance of CJ was modeled after Young Maylay, with the development team taking “very professional” photographs of him to create the character model.

Background Information

The Grand Theft Auto series is known for its richly detailed and fictionalized versions of real-world cities, with Los Santos being based on Los Angeles and Liberty City being based on New York City. The characters in the game are also inspired by real-life individuals, with CJ being based on Young Maylay and Ryder being based on Eazy-E, a late rapper and vocalist of the rap group N.W.A..

FAQs

General Questions

1. Who is CJ inspired by?: CJ is inspired by Bobby Johnson from the movie “South Central”.
2. What is GTA San Andreas based on?: GTA San Andreas is based on sections of California and Nevada as seen in the early 1990s.
3. Who are GTA characters based on?: GTA characters such as Nico and Michael are based on characters! from movies and TV shows, with Nico being based on Sasha from “Behind Enemy Lines” and Michael being based on Tony Sopranos from “The Sopranos”.

Character-Specific Questions

4. Who is Trevor based on?: Trevor is based on Charles Bronson, with his appearance being inspired by Ogg’s physical appearance.
5. Who is Ryder based on?: Ryder is based on Eazy-E, a late rapper and vocalist of the rap group N.W.A..
6. Who is Madd Dogg based on?: Madd Dogg is based on former members of N.W.A., including Dr. Dre, Ice-T, and Ice Cube.
7. Who is OG Loc based on?: OG Loc is voiced by Jonathan Anderson, but his real-life inspiration is not explicitly stated.

Game-Specific Questions

8. What is Vice City based on?: Vice City is based heavily on the city of Miami.
9. What is Liberty City based on?: Liberty City is based on New York City.
10. Is Grand Theft Auto: Vice City based on Scarface?: While Vice City bears a close likeness to Miami and spotlights some of the locations from Scarface, nothing in Vice City is an exact replica.

Setting and Timeline

11. What city is GTA 6 based on?: GTA 6 is currently set in and around a fictional version of Miami.
12. Is GTA 6 set in Florida?: Yes, GTA 6 is set — at least partially — in Miami, which is located in the state of Florida.

Character Relationships and Ages

13. Is CJ Franklin’s dad?: No, Franklin is not the son of CJ, as each game is set in alternate timelines according to Rockstar Games.
14. How old is Carl Johnson?: Carl “CJ” Johnson is 24 years old during the events of GTA San Andreas.
15. Why does CJ sound like Franklin?: Franklin’s GTAV actor, Shawn Fonteno, is the cousin of Young Maylay, who voiced CJ in GTA San Andreas.