(18+) Russian Rapper Basta Revealed How Much GTA IV Authors Paid Him for Using His Music for Vladivostok FM

The rapper's acquaintances were very surprised when they heard Basta's track in the game.

A significant part of the GTA franchise games is the soundtrack, which players can hear on in-game radio during their trips. Grand Theft Auto IV, released in 2008, was no exception — Rockstar Games presented several diverse stations, including “Vladivostok FM.”

Recently, on Anar's stream, Russian rapper Basta recalled that his music was included in Grand Theft Auto IV. He was once contacted and offered to add his track “Mama” to the “Vladivostok FM” radio station.

Basta admitted that he didn't even know what “GTA” was at the time — he doesn't play video games. He was paid 15 thousand dollars; in those years, that was about 370 thousand rubles. The rapper didn't attach much importance to his track appearing in Grand Theft Auto IV. But his acquaintances were very surprised when they heard Basta's track in the game.

Currently, Rockstar Games studio is preparing for the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI — the game's release is scheduled for November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. The participation of musicians such as Young Lean, Metro Boomin, Travis Scott has already been confirmed; there is no information yet regarding the participation of Russian performers.