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Although Shawn “Solo” Fonteno is an American rapper, he’s widely known for playing the evergreen protagonist Franklin Clinton in GTA V. The star made his first appearance in 2013 when the game launched originally.

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Shawn Fonteno returned to portray Franklin last year. It was for GTA Online’s The Contract DLC update in which his character tried to help Dr. Dre on a mission. Well, Fonteno is back now, but, for a different and massive reason. It will surely rejoice his fans from the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

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Fans congratulate Franklin Clinton actor for the new book showcasing his iconic GTA journey!

Fonteno has been the face behind Franklin, the beloved GTA V central character for almost nine years now. Before him, his cousin Young Maylay, who’s also a rapper, had played Carl “CJ” Johnson, the protagonist in 2004’s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

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Last year proved to be huge for the gaming lovers as “Solo” reprised his role once again in GTA Online: The Contract.

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Just recently, Shawn shared major news of his book’s release. Titled “Game Changer: My Journey From the Streets to Your Video Game Console”, it tells how the rapper became a renowned gaming icon.

Anyone who buys this book will be able to know more about the artist’s initial meeting with Rockstar and how his GTA journey began in 2013. Which is still growing consistently, as the fifth installment has been one of the most loved games to ever release.

Speaking about the reactions of the fans, they congratulated him on the book’s release. Most of the people seemed excited and hyped about buying and reading it. “People deserve to hear your story”, wrote one avid fan.

Meanwhile, hardcore gamers are currently looking forward to the sixth installment in the franchise. Rockstar confirmed it earlier this year and the game is now in development.

In the meantime, GTA V is now available worldwide for all the supported platforms.

WATCH THIS STORY: The Best Grand Theft Auto Titles of All time

What are your thoughts on Shawn Fonteno getting his own book based on the open-world gaming saga? Will you be picking it up this weekend?

Let us know in the comments.

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Mintu Tomar

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Mintu Tomar is a Senior Tennis Journalist at EssentiallySports, specializing in the WTA beat and Grand Slam coverage. With a journalism career spanning over 10 years across sports and entertainment media, he combines long‑term trend‑spotting with sharp match‑day analysis. At ES, Mintu’s work often blends on‑court breakdowns with behind‑the‑scenes context. In his coverage of Coco Gauff’s Qatar Open upset, he unpacked tactical advice from Serena Williams’ former coach, showing how elite insights influence rising talent. As part of the ES Think Tank, he helps identify breakout storylines and shape analytical angles for the newsroom. Before focusing on tennis, Mintu covered esports and the broader gaming industry at Sportskeeda, with a focus on major titles like Call of Duty, and has written extensively on entertainment, technology, politics, and lifestyle for multiple digital platforms. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism and International Law & Diplomacy.

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Pritam Priyedarshi

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