GTA 5 actors recreate one of the game’s most iconic memes live

When Grand Theft Auto V released in 2013, Lamar’s roast “yee yee ass haircut” became a hit, drawing gamers in as an expression of disgust. In 2020, the meme was rekindled when people started remixing the scene, replacing Lamar with fictional characters ranging from Spongebob to Darth Vader. Now the meme has reached its peak form, with the original voice actors of the game coming together to recreate it in person.

The video features GTA 5 actors Slink Johnson and Shawn Fonteno (who provided both voice and motion capture for their characters) performing the scene with impressive attention to detail. After being uploaded to the PlayStation Haven YouTube channel, it racked up nearly 2.5 million views in less than 24 hours, proving the meme is still alive and well. The meme has a page on Know Your Meme, as well as an urban dictionary definition of “yee yee ass”.

The new video was designed to promote an upcoming PlayStation Haven web series called GTA V Real-Life Comparisons. The series, hosted by Slink Johnson, compares GTA’s Los Santos setting to its real-world inspiration, the city of Los Angeles. The surrounding desert is also featured in GTA V. It is the second main game in the series to feature the state of San Andreas after Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

It’s a little unsettling to see this happen in real life. Many of us are so used to seeing the digitized versions of the characters that it almost seems less realistic to see the actors.