T-Pain is annoyed. The singer, songwriter and producer, best known for his role in Flo Rida’s big hit Lowhas revealed that he has been assigned to work on the biggest video game currently in development: Grand Theft Auto 6expected in 2025. Good news, you might think, but it has earned him a ban on one of his favorite pastimes, namely playing on GTA 5 roleplaying servers.
In a clip circulating on social media, T-Pain responded on stream to a fan’s question about why he hasn’t been seen on the NoPixel server lately. “What about this shit?” he said. “I used to be on NoPixel, and then I started working on the damn thing GTA6and they told me I couldn’t do RP anymore because it kind of conflicted with… They had a whole speech, like, ‘What if someone took your album and re-recorded it, and more people listened to it ? ?’
“Then I think: okay, I understand that, but I had a good time! Okay that is fine.”
GTA roleplaying servers are variants of GTA Online where players are fully committed to whatever role they play in the world. Among other subcultures, “RP” is popular among the homemade hip-hop music community, where creators gather to perform tunes or blast them from in-game car stereos. It’s even possible to have a popular song in the game translate into a minor streaming hit in the real world.
But role-playing servers (of which NoPixel is one of the oldest and most popular) are essentially unlicensed mods of GTA Online that violate the terms of service. Until recently, Rockstar had a vague idea of it, at least officially. Hence the request to T-Pain, a high-profile musician with twenty years of experience, to no longer draw attention to them by playing.
However, things are changing. In 2023, Rockstar recognized the enormous popularity of GTA role-playing, especially among streamers, and acquired Cfx.re, the makers of the FiveM mod on which NoPixel and many other servers are based. “Over the past few years, we’ve watched with excitement as Rockstar’s creative community has found new ways to expand the possibilities of Grand Theft Auto V And Red Dead Redemption 2, especially through the creation of dedicated role-playing servers,” the company said at the time. The acquisition hints at the possibility of an officially sanctioned role-playing experience GTAOnline, or for a potential successor that could come alongside it GTA6.
The irony of this was not lost on T-Pain. “I start working with them on the game, and then they work with the people who want to make the RP shit!” ‘ he said good-humoredly. “And I’m like, wait a minute, what? What the fuck? (laughs) You all told me I can’t do this, and are you all working with the people who make the RP possible? Whatever, whatever!”
T-Pain did not reveal in what capacity he would contribute GTA6, whether it’s contributing songs, advising on the soundtrack or even appearing in the game (perhaps as a radio station DJ?). He probably shouldn’t have said it at all. But maybe Rockstar’s lawyers can cut him some slack; after all, he gave up a hobby for their sake.
Grand Theft Auto 6which moves the action to a modern Vice City (GTA world’s version of Miami), will be released in 2025.