“I knew I wanted to be a rapper”: Flau’jae Johnson sheds light on her humble beginnings from small town of Savannah 

Flau’jae Johnson may now be known as the championship-winning LSU guard, but her first shot at fame came when she appeared on Lifetime's The Rap Game at the age of 12. Johnson competed in the reality series against other budding hip hop artists for a shot at scoring a record deal.

Later, the Savannah native joined America's Got Talent where she performed her self-written song called 'Guns Down'. She advanced to the quarterfinals and received the judges' coveted golden buzzer. However, due to insufficient public voting, she did not reach the semifinal despite great reviews from the judges.

Johnson spoke about her journey from her hometown to LSU during an interview with Cam Newton that was released on Monday via his YouTube channel.

"Savannah, you know, it's a small city," she said. "And my mama, she really liked seeing the vision. Like, I knew I wanted to be a rapper because my dad was a rapper. But then I actually got good at it. Like, you know what I'm saying and I really made it a career.

"But I was always good at basketball so I just kept doing my thing in both. And high school I became an All-American and it took off from there. Went to LSU, won the championship, and now, I got a song with Lil Wayne. Like it's crazy, it's crazy," she added.

---

Flau’jae Johnson's inspiration behind her music

Johnson owes her rap career to her father, Jason, who was known by his stage name: Camoflauge. He was fatally shot a few months before his daughter's birth. She spoke about the impact of his death in a 2019 feature in St. Joseph's/Candler.

"Growing up without my dad, seeing everyone else with their dad, it made think, 'Why me?'" she said. "But music helped fill the void, both when I was creating it and then going back and listening to it. Knowing my dad was involved in music made me want to pursue it even more."

While much of her music is inspired by her late father, she also pays homage to her roots as she emphasizes the importance of giving back to her hometown.

"Savannah gave me so much, so I have to give back, no doubt about it,” she said. "There will always be work we have to do to get everybody on the same track, but I think our community can accomplish so much when we help each other and not try to outdo each other.”

Johnson is currently promoting her new EP called "Best of Both Worlds" where she raps about her life as a basketball player as well as a musical artist. At the same time, she is also preparing for her junior season with the LSU Tigers.