Rockstar Games leans into a famous Grand Theft Auto 5 meme depicting the game's character Franklin Clinton being roasted by Lamar once more in a new Grand Theft Auto Online update. The free update, called The Contract, is live across all platforms today. In the character's first appearance since Grand Theft Auto 5 launched in 2013, The Contract features Franklin joined by Chop the Dog and his friend Lamar. The Contract takes place roughly eight years in the future and shows Franklin's fate after the events of GTA 5.
Though he is Franklin's best friend, Lamar is not opposed to teasing his friend. In Grand Theft Auto 5, Lamar roasts Franklin for his "yee-yee a** haircut" outside of Franklin's house. Fans of the game loved the profanity-laden scene so much that it has turned into a well-known meme in the Grand Theft Auto community. Several creative fans in the Grand Theft Auto community-created mods for the game that replace Lamar with various characters from video games, movies, and TV shows. Thanks to these mods, Franklin can now be seen being roasted by the likes of Kermit the Frog and Darth Vader. There were also more bizarre mods like one that had Franklin being roasted by 37 Lamars at the same time. Regardless, thanks to these GTA 5 mods, the Franklin Roast meme has grown over time. Now even Rockstar Games has leaned into the meme.
A YouTube video uploaded by GTA Series Videos shows a cutscene in the update where Lamar once more roasts Franklin in the Short Trip mission Fire It Up. In the clip, Lamar asks to enter Franklin's house to use his hot tub. When Franklin refuses to let Lamar in his house, Lamar insults his good friend. This time, instead of teasing Franklin for his haircut, Lamar tells Franklin that he is a "dirty a** bea-I-zee-itch." The cutscene ends with Franklin spraying cologne on himself.
It's refreshing to see Grand Theft Auto Online developer Rockstar Games embracing the meme. Even the original voice actors for Grand Theft Auto 5 have embraced the meme by reuniting and reenacting Lamar roasting Franklin in real life. Shawn Fonteno and Gerald "Slink" Johnson, the actors for Franklin and Lamar respectively, reenact the roast with surprising accuracy. Both voice actors are dressed like their characters and even mimic the characters' movements from the cutscene. With this newest cutscene from The Contract, perhaps fans will once again be treated to a real-life reenactment.
With such popular characters like Franklin and Lamar, it's not surprising to see them brought back in this newest update. However, some fans are questioning why another story revolving around Grand Theft Auto 5 protagonist Franklin couldn't have been a single-player expansion. Regardless, fans will be delighted to know that the update shows that Franklin and Lamar are still best friends years later.
Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA Online are available to play now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One platforms.
Source: GTA Series Videos/YouTube