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Shawn Fonteno

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Shawn Fonteno
Fonteno in 2024
Born
Shawn Darnell Fonteno

Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesSolo, Big Solo
Occupations
  • Actor
  • rapper
Years active1994–present
Known forPortrayal of Franklin Clinton in Grand Theft Auto V
Children1
RelativesYoung Maylay (cousin)

Shawn Darnell "Solo" Fonteno, is an American actor and 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

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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 beginning to rise through the ranks before several near-fatal shootings and kidnapping attempts on his family 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 MC life behind in good standing.[2][3]

Career

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Music career

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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 in the early 1990’s. He was at one point the hype man of a duo group with rapper Kam. Solo appears as a hype man for Kam and DJ Pooh's music video "Whoop! Whoop!". Solo also appears in Kam's "Peace Treaty" music video. The song "Where I Come From" was listed under the duo Kam & Solo. He 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.[4][5]

Grand Theft Auto V

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Fonteno voiced and provided the motion capture for 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.[6] 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.[7][8] 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.[9]

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.[10][11]

Personal life

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Fonteno has a daughter named Bria.[12][13] Fonteno is also the cousin of voice actor and rapper Young Maylay who voiced Carl "CJ" Johnson in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.[14] He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.[15]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1994 Dead Homiez Solo
2000 3 Strikes Big Mo
2001 The Wash Face
2017 Grow House Bam

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes
2004 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Grove Street Families gang member Voice – credited as "Solo"
2013 Grand Theft Auto V Franklin Clinton Voice and motion-capture
2021 Grand Theft Auto Online Voice and motion-capture
The Contract content update

Published works

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

References

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  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. ^ Montemarono, Jada. "Watts native shares how starring in Grand Theft Auto 5 changed his life". Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  3. ^ "WSHH Presents: Life Behind The Game Feat. Shawn "Solo" Fonteno (The Story Of Franklin Clinton From GTA V)". Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  4. ^ Chalk, Andy (January 12, 2021). "Grand Theft Auto 5 voice actors recreate the 'Lamar Roasts Franklin' scene". PC Gamer.
  5. ^ "'GRAND THEFT AUTO V' STAR HISTORY OF VIOLENCE WITH ICE CUBE 'But That Sh*T's Over Now'". Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  6. ^ Chalk, Andy (January 12, 2021). "Grand Theft Auto 5 voice actors recreate the 'Lamar Roasts Franklin' scene". PC Gamer.
  7. ^ Good, Owen S. (January 13, 2021). "GTA 5's 'Lamar roasts Franklin' meme goes IRL with original actors". Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  8. ^ Boom, Daniel Van. "GTA V's dumbest meme re-created IRL with the game's actual actors". Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  9. ^ "Lamar roasts Franklin again in GTA Online's The Contract update". Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  10. ^ "GTA 5 Actor Announces New Book About His Life & Starring In Rockstar's Game". ComicBook.com. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ Fonteno, Bria (August 19, 2019). "GTA V SHAWN "SOLO" FONTENO FULL INTERVIEW". Fonteno Media. YouTube. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  13. ^ "IGN's GTA 5 Panel - NY Comic Con 2013". IGN. October 12, 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  14. ^ IGN's GTA 5 Panel - NY Comic Con 2013, October 12, 2013, retrieved March 29, 2021
  15. ^ Shawn Fonteno chilling with Ned Luke #gta, retrieved August 18, 2023
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