Shawn Fonteno
Born
Shawn Darnell Fonteno

Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesSolo
Occupations
  • Actor
  • rapper
Years active1999–present
Children1
RelativesYoung Maylay (cousin)

Shawn Darnell Fonteno, also known as Solo, is an American actor and DJ rapper. He is best known for playing Franklin Clinton in the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V. Aside from his portrayal of Franklin Clinton, Fonteno has acted in films such as The Wash.[1]

Early life

Fonteno was born and raised in Watts, Los Angeles. He never knew his father until the age of eight; he met him in the hospital after his father had been shot in an armed robbery shootout. He joined an African-American street gang the Neighborhood Crips from a young age, dealing drugs and began rising the ranks before several near-fatal shootings and kidnappings attempts of his family, which eventually inspired him to leave the gang. He was later at one point the vice-president of an African-American motorcycle club called the Choppers MC. He was still committing criminal acts with his crew but eventually decided to settle down and leave the gang life behind in good standing.

Career

Music career

His rapping career was under the name Solo from his gangster nickname OG Solo. Fonteno was affiliated with several record companies including DJ Pooh's Lench Mob, Death Row Records, and Priority Records. He was at one point the hype man of a duo group with rapper Kam. Solo made an appearance in a documentary "Beef 2" where he described a fight in which he claimed to have knocked Ice Cube out due to a disagreement about business and later stole his chain. The episode played a significant role in the bitter rivalry between Ice Cube's Westside Connection and Cypress Hill in the 1990s gangsta rap era[2][3]

Grand Theft Auto V

Fonteno voiced the character Franklin Clinton for the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V. In 2021, Fonteno reprised his role alongside Slink Johnson (who voiced Lamar Davis in the same game) in a live-action re-enactment of a cutscene where Lamar "roasts" Franklin.[4] The original scene had experienced a resurgence in popularity years later when parodies were uploaded online, usually involving Lamar's character model being replaced with various popular culture icons.[5][6] Later that year, Fonteno and Johnson again reprised their roles in downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto Online, which included a homage to the original roast cutscene.[7]

In 2022, Fonteno published a memoir titled Game Changer: My Journey From the Streets to Your Video Game Console, which details how he left his former life as a gang member to become an actor.[8][9]

Personal life

Fonteno has a daughter named Bria.[10][11] Fonteno is also the cousin of voice actor and rapper Young Maylay who voiced Carl Johnson "CJ" in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.[12] He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.[13]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
20003 StrikesBig Mo
2001The WashFace
2017Grow HouseBam

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2004Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasGrove Street Families gang memberVoice – credited as "Solo"
2013Grand Theft Auto VFranklin ClintonVoice and motion-capture
2021 Grand Theft Auto OnlineVoice and motion-capture
The Contract expansion

Published works

  • Fonteno, Shawn 'Solo'; Jah, Yusuf (2022). Game Changer: My Journey From the Streets to Your Video Game Console. Fonteno LLC. ISBN 979-8424258275.

References

    1. ↑ Mitchell, Elvis (November 15, 2001). "FILM REVIEW; With Just a Hint of a Plot, Taking It Easy. Very Easy". The New York Times. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
    2. ↑ Chalk, Andy (January 12, 2021). "Grand Theft Auto 5 voice actors recreate the 'Lamar Roasts Franklin' scene". PC Gamer.
    3. ↑ "'GRAND THEFT AUTO V' STAR HISTORY OF VIOLENCE WITH ICE CUBE 'But That Sh*T's Over Now'". Retrieved January 11, 2024.
    4. ↑ Chalk, Andy (January 12, 2021). "Grand Theft Auto 5 voice actors recreate the 'Lamar Roasts Franklin' scene". PC Gamer.
    5. ↑ Good, Owen S. (January 13, 2021). "GTA 5's 'Lamar roasts Franklin' meme goes IRL with original actors". Retrieved January 23, 2021.
    6. ↑ Boom, Daniel Van. "GTA V's dumbest meme re-created IRL with the game's actual actors". Retrieved January 23, 2021.
    7. ↑ "Lamar roasts Franklin again in GTA Online's The Contract update". Retrieved January 6, 2022.
    8. ↑ "GTA 5 Actor Announces New Book About His Life & Starring In Rockstar's Game". ComicBook.com. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
    9. ↑ Halsell, Betti (April 14, 2022). "Legendary GTA Voice-Over Actor Shawn 'Solo' Fonteno Speaks his Truth in New 'Game Changer' Memoir". Los Angeles Sentinel. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
    10. ↑ Fonteno, Bria (August 19, 2019). "GTA V SHAWN "SOLO" FONTENO FULL INTERVIEW". Fonteno Media. YouTube. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
    11. ↑ "IGN's GTA 5 Panel - NY Comic Con 2013". IGN. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
    12. ↑ IGN's GTA 5 Panel - NY Comic Con 2013, retrieved March 29, 2021
    13. ↑ Shawn Fonteno chilling with Ned Luke #gta, retrieved August 18, 2023
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