While Rockstar Games never officially confirmed a direct biographical link, character designer and narrative execution for Carl "CJ" Johnson in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas drew heavy stylistic inspiration from 1990s West Coast hip-hop culture, urban street fashion, and iconic rap artists of the era, most notably Tupac Shakur and Ice Cube. The visual aesthetic, cultural backdrop, and thematic motifs heavily mirrored the gritty realities of early-90s Los Angeles music and street scenes.