Franklin Clinton is one of the three playable protagonists in Grand Theft Auto V, released in 2013, and phone calls are a regular part of his story and free-roam life in Los Santos. Clips of his calls began circulating on soundboards and in fan edits because they instantly signal a GTA moment without needing gameplay footage. Like other Grand Theft Auto sounds, including the game's notification tone and lines from earlier titles such as GTA San Andreas, it remains popular for memes, roleplay videos and prank edits that borrow the game's familiar world.