Rockstar Reveals How It Convinced Dr Dre to Appear in GTA 5

gamerant.com:

Launching earlier this year, the Contract expansion for Grand Theft Auto 5 brought fans a vast array of new content. From new guns to use in Grand Theft Auto Online, to a new set of missions featuring Franklin from the initial Grand Theft Auto campaign 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 heist in 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 for Grand Theft Auto 5.

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Now, Rockstar has revealed how they got the rap legend so involved in Grand 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 Classics radio station in Grand 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 for GTA 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.