It’s the game that shocked and thrilled the world: Grand Theft Auto. Its rise to domination is an incredible story. Rapper Bugzy Malone played it through his hardest times. And he’s going deep.
It’s the game that shocked and thrilled the world: Grand Theft Auto. Its rise to domination is an incredible story. Rapper Bugzy Malone played it through his hardest times. And he’s going deep.
With each new GTA, a new world to live in. This time, its Vice City, a fictionalised Miami, in which drugs, guns and killing are the order of the day.
As players stole cars and worked their way up the crime ladder, a soundtrack full of 80s classics brought them into a gaming dream.
Bugzy remembers how the vision of style in the game spoke to him: how the suave and well-dressed criminals and characters were something he found compelling.
The game had already shocked moral America. But it had also shocked one lawyer, who was gearing up for a fight of his own.
That lawyer would try to connect GTA to real world violence through the media when a teenager killed three in Alabama, but his attempts would be dashed when the supposed link was thrown out of court.
WARNING: This podcast contains descriptions violence and some distressing scenes.
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CREDITS:
Written by Ciaran Tracey and Chris Warburton Presenter: Bugzy Malone Presenter: Chris Warburton Mixing and Mastering: James Bradshaw Assistant Producer: Gabrielle Gatti Additional journalism by Jo Newsholme, Helen Ledwick and Laura Conder
Executive Commissioners for BBC: Richard Maddock and Dylan Haskins Assistant Commissioner: Natalie Mace
The Executive Producer is Ciaran Tracey for Big City Nights