The line comes from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, released in 2004, where protagonist Carl Johnson, known as CJ, says it during the game's opening as he is pulled back into gang life in Los Santos. Clipped and shared as a short audio meme, it spread through YouTube edits, TikTok videos and reaction soundboards, where it became shorthand for reluctant déjà vu. It remains popular because the situation it describes, being dragged into something familiar and unwelcome again, is instantly recognisable across games, work and everyday life.