# Young Maylay
**Young Maylay** is the stage name of Christopher Bellard, an American rapper from Los Angeles who provided the voice of Carl "CJ" Johnson, the protagonist of [Rockstar Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/rockstar-games)' 2004 video game *Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas*[1](https://www.gta-sanandreas.com/credits/). He was born on the West Coast and raised in Los Angeles amid riots and gang violence, and his music draws on those experiences of inner-city life[2](https://planetgrandtheftauto.gamespy.com/View6192.html?id=18&view=Articles.Detail).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Real name | Christopher Bellard, a Los Angeles rapper performing as Young Maylay[1](https://www.gta-sanandreas.com/credits/) |
| Signature role | Voice of Carl "CJ" Johnson in *Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas* (2004)[1](https://www.gta-sanandreas.com/credits/) |
| Dialogue volume | Recorded over 7,700 lines of dialogue for CJ[3](https://helda.helsinki.fi/server/api/core/bitstreams/e75a512d-aa30-41a5-996b-603a327ff021/content) |
| How he was cast | Recommended to Rockstar Games by DJ Pooh, who was brought in to contribute to the game[4](https://www.dubcnn.com/features/onthecomeup/youngmaylay/) |
| First release | *San Andreas: The Original Mixtape* (2005)[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1350-whatever-happened-to-young-maylay-the-rapper-at-the-heart-of-grand-theft-auto-san-andreas/) |
| Second project | *The Real Coast Guard*, released July 4, 2008, presented by DJ Crazy Toones and WC[6](https://www.dubcnn.com/2008/07/04/exclusive-interview-with-young-maylay-2/) |
| Early songwriting | Wrote the majority of King T's underground album *Ruthless Chronicles* (late 2004)[4](https://www.dubcnn.com/features/onthecomeup/youngmaylay/) |
## Voice acting as CJ
Maylay came to the role through [DJ Pooh](https://www.edgepedia.org/dj-pooh), the producer and writer who had been sought out for a contribution to *San Andreas*. Pooh told Rockstar he had the perfect person in mind, and the recommendation led to the part[4](https://www.dubcnn.com/features/onthecomeup/youngmaylay/). Rockstar's decision to cast him reflected a deliberate approach: the studio opted to cast celebrities in secondary roles while giving the lead to a relatively unknown rapper, and the developers felt that Young Maylay's obscurity in the industry made CJ feel "very, very human"[7](https://www.gurmanosypsnys.lt/userfiles/file/73de4057-b9ac-4288-8c62-195e8087f456.pdf).
The workload was large for a video game lead. CJ's character is voiced by the Los Angeles-born rapper Christopher Bellard, who recorded over 7,700 lines of dialogue, as part of a production effort Rockstar described as aiming for the "most human" character in the series[3](https://helda.helsinki.fi/server/api/core/bitstreams/e75a512d-aa30-41a5-996b-603a327ff021/content).
**A common misconception.** Many players assumed Rockstar modeled CJ's face on Maylay, a belief that spread as later games such as *Grand Theft Auto V* cast actors whose characters resemble them. Maylay has said this is not the case, and that he cannot take credit for the character's iconic design[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1350-whatever-happened-to-young-maylay-the-rapper-at-the-heart-of-grand-theft-auto-san-andreas/).
## Music career
Before the game, Maylay had been building a rap career in Los Angeles. As a teenager in the 1990s he formed friendships with the rapper [King T](https://www.edgepedia.org/king-t) and the producer DJ Pooh, and he has described King T as the mentor who put him in the studio[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1350-whatever-happened-to-young-maylay-the-rapper-at-the-heart-of-grand-theft-auto-san-andreas/) • [4](https://www.dubcnn.com/features/onthecomeup/youngmaylay/). He was featured on compilations and underground mixtapes such as Killa Tay's *Thug Thizzle* (2000) and Rodney O & Joe Cooley's *Summer Heat* (2002), and he wrote the majority of King T's underground album *Ruthless Chronicles*, released in late 2004[2](https://planetgrandtheftauto.gamespy.com/View6192.html?id=18&view=Articles.Detail) • [4](https://www.dubcnn.com/features/onthecomeup/youngmaylay/).
**Post-game releases.** Eager to turn the game's success into a music career, Maylay packaged his first release as *San Andreas: The Original Mixtape* in 2005[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1350-whatever-happened-to-young-maylay-the-rapper-at-the-heart-of-grand-theft-auto-san-andreas/). His second project, the street album *The Real Coast Guard*, was released on July 4, 2008, with features from DJ Crazy Toones, WC, King T, Jelly Roll, Bad Lucc, and Traci Nelson; Dubcnn described it as marking his transition from underground rapper to an important part of the new generation of West Coast rap[6](https://www.dubcnn.com/2008/07/04/exclusive-interview-with-young-maylay-2/). Apple Music's catalog lists *The Real Coast Guard* under 2011, and the single "I'm from L.A. (La La Land)" under 2015[8](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/young-maylay/99431660).
In a January 2013 interview, Maylay said he had been on records from WC, Ice Cube, and SupaFly, and that *Hog Tied and Duct-Taped* was the name of the new album he planned to release that year. He also said he had nothing to do with *Grand Theft Auto V* as far as he knew, though he remained a fan of the series and noted that gaming fans had become fans of his music[9](https://hip-hopvibe.com/news/hhv-exclusive-young-maylay-talks-grand-theft-auto-v-and-los-angeles-hip-hop/).
## Musical style and influences
Maylay gravitated toward hip-hop from a young age because it was relatable, citing N.W.A, Ice Cube, and Eazy-E, and especially local figures such as King T, whose imagery matched the people he could see out his own window in Los Angeles[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1350-whatever-happened-to-young-maylay-the-rapper-at-the-heart-of-grand-theft-auto-san-andreas/). His music presents what has been described as certified authentic experiences of inner-city life[2](https://planetgrandtheftauto.gamespy.com/View6192.html?id=18&view=Articles.Detail). Apple Music lists WC, Ice Cube, King T, and [Snoop Dogg](https://www.edgepedia.org/snoop-dogg) among similar artists[8](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/young-maylay/99431660).
## Legacy of the CJ role
*San Andreas* dropped players into a fictionalized version of early 1990s Los Angeles, with a plot touching on the crack epidemic, gang violence, the [Rampart scandal](https://www.edgepedia.org/rampart-scandal), and the riots, and Maylay's performance gave CJ both his voice and, in one writer's description, a huge chunk of his disposition[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1350-whatever-happened-to-young-maylay-the-rapper-at-the-heart-of-grand-theft-auto-san-andreas/). More than a decade after release, fans continued to associate him with the character; as Maylay himself conceded, "There's not one video of mine on YouTube that doesn't have somebody saying something about CJ"[5](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1350-whatever-happened-to-young-maylay-the-rapper-at-the-heart-of-grand-theft-auto-san-andreas/). The game's credits list the role as "Carl 'CJ' Johnson, Chris Bellard aka Young Maylay"[1](https://www.gta-sanandreas.com/credits/).
## References
1. [Credits, GTA-SanAndreas.com](https://www.gta-sanandreas.com/credits/)
2. [Young MayLay Speaks (07/06/05), Planet GTA](https://planetgrandtheftauto.gamespy.com/View6192.html?id=18&view=Articles.Detail)
3. [Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas as Satirical Discourse: A Critical Race Theory Perspective, University of Helsinki repository](https://helda.helsinki.fi/server/api/core/bitstreams/e75a512d-aa30-41a5-996b-603a327ff021/content)
4. [Interview: Young Maylay (January 2005), DubCNN](https://www.dubcnn.com/features/onthecomeup/youngmaylay/)
5. [Whatever Happened to Young Maylay, the Rapper at the Heart of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas?, Pitchfork (November 3, 2016)](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1350-whatever-happened-to-young-maylay-the-rapper-at-the-heart-of-grand-theft-auto-san-andreas/)
6. [Exclusive Interview With Young Maylay (July 2008), DubCNN](https://www.dubcnn.com/2008/07/04/exclusive-interview-with-young-maylay-2/)
7. [Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas development and reception compilation (PDF)](https://www.gurmanosypsnys.lt/userfiles/file/73de4057-b9ac-4288-8c62-195e8087f456.pdf)
8. [Young Maylay, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/young-maylay/99431660)
9. [HHV Exclusive: Young Maylay talks "Grand Theft Auto V" and Los Angeles hip hop, Hip Hop Vibe (January 7, 2013)](https://hip-hopvibe.com/news/hhv-exclusive-young-maylay-talks-grand-theft-auto-v-and-los-angeles-hip-hop/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › Transnational genre scenes › Hip hop scenes worldwide › Artists, groups, and people: Hip hop scenes worldwide › West Coast rap (Bay Area and Los Angeles) › Los Angeles and Southern California rappers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license