After leading the LSU Tigers to an easy win over the Northwestern State Lady Demons on Friday (Nov. 8), Flau'jae Johnson faces a slightly more difficult opponent: a sudden change in the weather. He's just traveled 1,400 miles to Brooklyn to shoot a new music video, and despite the weather app's predictions, he didn't expect it to be as cold as it was, so he decided to hole up in a tiny Cumberland Street apartment between sets for the new her visual — but not before taking a picture with a fan who spotted her on the street.
Leaning back into a chair for our interview, I ask why the 21-year-old Roc Nation emcee chose to shoot in New York over downtown Baton Rouge. It turns out that she wanted to provide inspiration for her song “Master Plan”, a Rakim sample from the upcoming deluxe edition of her debut album, The best of both worlds.
“I'm paying homage to what started hip-hop,” he says. “This is just a tribute to all the people in New York who started it — from DJ Kool Herc to Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5. I feel like New York is the mecca of hip-hop, so here we are supposed to he will.”
That rap fundamentalism is part of a discipline that forges her dual paths as an All-SEC guard and aspiring rap star. The latter's career began at the intersection of tragedy and inspiration: On May 19, 2003, Savannah's father, rising Georgia rap star Camouflage, was shot and killed in front of a local recording studio. It was six months before Flau'jae was born.
“My mom had told me the whole story about my dad and how he died and how he was a rapper,” he recalls. “I was really attached to it, because all I had left of him was his music.” At the age of eight, she decided she wanted to be a rapper as well, studying her father's songs before recording her first song, with the help of her uncle.
By the time she was 12, she had competed Lifetime The rap game competitive performancedisplaying impressive conviction and skill for a pre-teen. By the time her high school career ended, she had also established herself as a hardwood phenom, earning a spot as a McDonald's All-American after becoming Sprayberry High School's all-time leading scorer.
Her dominance continued at LSU, where she won a national championship in 2023. After reaching the Elite Eight last season, she has no plans to suffer again. “I've already tasted a national championship, so anything less for me will be a failure,” he admits.
After the season, she continued her rapping ways, dropping her debut LP, Both the best of worldsbefore performing at the 2024 ESPY Awards. Two weeks ago, Lil Wayne, who collaborated with her on “Big Bag,” brought her out to perform at his Lil Weezyana Fest at the Smoothie King Center. It was the latest in a series of joint level ups that she hopes will carry her through the rest of LSU's season, and what should be just the beginning of a long rap career.
On the set of 'Master Plan', Flau'jae talks to him Bulletin board the start of her career, her father's influence, balancing school-ball-rap career and more.
Your new single samples Rakim's “Paid in Full.” Being from Georgia, have you always been associated with the New York rap scene?
When I was younger, all I did was really listen to my father. So his style was so different. My mom told me that she used to listen to all kinds of artists from people from New York, from the West Coast. Influenced by 'Pac. So when I knew I really wanted to get serious about rap, I went to do my research, just like I did with basketball: Go study the greats. I feel like that's what you do in music. So I got that approach from basketball. I was like, “Whoever was the best, I want to go study them and find out how they did it.” So I just watched so many documentaries and clicked. My uncle G told me to study all the greats.
And I found [Rakim]and it's in my top five forever. I think as a lyricist he was way ahead of his time, even then. And when I was first in the studio [making “Master Plan”]the first thing I thought when I heard this sample was, “I'm thinking of a master plan.” Well, that's the first thing I said in the studio. It was like destiny.
You've been rapping for a while, but at what age did you record your first song?
I was probably eight. My mom had told me the whole story about my father and how he died and how he was a rapper and stuff. And I just got used to it. I was like, wow, because that's all I had left of him was his music. So that's all I heard. So once I figured that out, I thought, yeah, that's what I want to do. So I started rapping. My uncle got me into it and it was history from there.
What did you use to record?
Oh man, just a remix. We would do a remix. I remember in the small room when I recorded my EP, I performed it and that's when I really started. On PC and mic – like a performance mic.
You mentioned listening to your dad growing up. What are your favorite lyrics by him?
Lots of them. But the main thing is: “It's too late to save us and we have to save these children.” It's a song called “Ghetto”. That's just a verse where it's just like when you get to a certain age, you realize that a lot of the older people, we're stuck in our ways. There's not much we can do for a 20, 30-year-old. But children — they are so precious and they will create the future and innovate and become our leaders. So we have to try to put them in the best position to change the world because it's over for us in a sense of our mindset.
Your NIL deal and overall activity has paid off. You recently bought 20 acres of land. What are your specific plans for this?
This is more for my business portfolio. But something I've been working on for so long is building a resource center in my hometown of Savannah, Georgia. It will be a sports and music resource center and also with financial literacy only tutoring. And I'm trying to get all my partners and brand people on board and create a curriculum for the kids so they can go somewhere after school and just have a place to be safe.
Needless to say, you lead a very busy life. How do you balance recording music with schoolwork and ball?
It's almost impossible, but it's like I'm doing the impossible right now. That is what makes the journey so great because it is so difficult. I was telling my friend the other day — no one has ever done this before, so there's no blueprint for how to do it. So I have to create my own thing that works for me and that's what I did.
I have my own studio in my apartment now — and now, when I create my demos, if I have 10, 12 [songs] in turn, I'll throw my mechanic down there. He will come for a week. We will pack these shows. Now they are finished and they sound good, because I can only do so much in the studio. I'm not a magician. So it's things like that. But the main thing is to keep basketball the main thing. My performance on the field helps me sell my music.
What about the student end of things? How do you keep it on top of that?
Most of my courses are online. I only have one class that is in person. It's an entrepreneurship course, but most of my classes are online and my professors are usually very good. I missed an exam so I have to go make it up. But everything is usually online, so I'm cool.
Coach Malkey is known to be a little strict at times. How do you deal with that and how do you try to maintain your level of play on the pitch?
Yes, she is. But he knows I will mind my business. So he doesn't have to worry too much about me. It's just that this year is more about being a leader because I'm an upperclassman now. So I have to be able to lead the younger ones. So, I care about being a consistent leader, having energy every day and being ready to lead. He says, “I know what you're going to do, but people feed off your energy.” He knows how to rap.
Does it have a favorite song of yours?
She probably liked the song that Lil Wayne said her name. Man, that's probably it. He was eating it. It was in the video and everything. He really supports everything I do. So in return I make sure I give 110% on the pitch.
What was more nerve-wracking: performing at the ESPYs and Lil Weezyana or competing in the NCAA National Championships?
I won't lie — both. And it's not even [about playing] in front of the world. When I'm in the game or on stage, I don't see people. I only see my fans when I'm like, “They're really rapping with me.” But I'm kind of so grounded in what I'm doing that I'm in a state of calm. I'm in that place where no one could really touch me, but I'm still nervous.
But it's just like boom, go. Once the ball drops, I'm not nervous anymore. Once the music comes on, I'm not nervous anymore. I know what I'm here to do, but that's because of my preparation. There's really nothing to worry about, just the perspective of everything. It's the same thing. preparing for a game is just like preparing for a performance.
What level of “success” would mean success to you as a rapper?
I'm trying to be as big as Taylor Swift. He changed my mind when I heard he came down to Louisiana and sold the Superdome — the Superdome. And then he had the Smoothie King Center just for merchandise. This is the level I want to be. Grammy nominations. That's where I want to be. Like Drake. Longevity.
Just so we're clear, do you 100% plan on going to the WNBA and rapping?
For sure. No one has done it yet, so that's definitely my goal. So I have to be the first. I was the first to do many things. But to do it at this level, it's very respectable. I really try to learn from the WNBA vets that I talked to about what their skill set was like, what their training was like, [and] how they stay sharp. Then, I talk to musicians about [what] Their skill set looks like, [and] how they stay sharp. Just combining them together. The best of both worlds.
In WNBA terms — bench player, starter, all-star, All-WNBA, MVP — what level of rapper are you right now?
Right now? I feel like I'm still coming off the bench and I don't like that. I've never come off the bench in my basketball career, but it's like the music is different. You have to take steps. There are a million people who play music every day. Therefore, you need to take steps to build your brand. When I say off the bench, I say I'm coming off the bench to the world because they don't understand how I can be good at both. So they don't take my music that seriously. But nobody can rap with me. So in that sense, I'd say All-Star, MVP, line them up, but in terms of my recognition, I feel like I'm still coming off the bench.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/flaujae-johnson-lsu-lil-wayne-master-plan-1235831802/
