Flau’jae Johnson is a multitalented NCAA champion who has created a name for herself not only in sports but in music. Born in Savannah, Georgia, she was a beam of light in her mother’s life after several months of sadness due to her dad’s untimely death. Her father, whom she never met, was murdered in the early stages of her mother’s pregnancy. Coming from a supportive family dynamic, in addition to being the child of a skilled father whose reputation positively preceded him, and gaining respect from many in her hometown, the rapper believes she was always destined for greatness.
Encouragement from family caused the student-athlete to develop a love for music, which wasn’t a surprise since her late dad was also a musician. She focused on that natural gift and eventually signed a distribution deal with Roc Nation in high school. After her mom pushed the go-getter to chase both her music and sports dreams, she also perfected basketball and became a revered name during senior year of high school.
Johnson, who carries the weight of ensuring her dad’s name lives on, took a moment to chat about her road to success with REVOLT CEO Detavio Samuels on the latest episode of “The Blackprint.” Below are seven highlights from the conversation.
1. The first time she performed was at age 8 or 9
The 20-year-old’s father was a gifted rapper who released a couple of albums before she was born. When she was young, her uncle encouraged her to become an emcee around the age of 7 since he believed it was in her DNA. This was the start of her unlocking an organic skillset that grew to become a career she’s pursuing seriously. To showcase her rhyming abilities in a special way, Johnson asked her mother to perform at her father’s annual celebration of life.
“My mom, she threw these annual birthdays for my father where they would just celebrate his life on his birthday. I said, ‘Mom, let me perform.’ Crazy. It was at a club. I'm 7 years old. Performing at a club [at] 7, probably 8, 9,” she told Samuels. “But that was my first performance ever. I'm just like this on the stage. I got to show you the video. We just found it. But it was beautiful. It was something that I knew that I wanted to do. You ever feel like, okay, this is what I'm supposed to be doing right now? This is my calling.”
2. The Boys and Girls Club program saved her from going down a bad route
During the sit-down, Johnson admitted that although she wasn’t “disrespectful,” she was a handful due to anger over not having her father.
“When I was younger, I was bad. I was a bad kid. Like, I was so hurt, right? I was so hurt when I was a kid. I'm like, ‘Why is my dad not here?’ And I started lashing out. I started lashing out so bad, and it wasn't to the point where I was like a disrespectful kid, but it was like I didn't know where to place my anger, right? And, you know, I just needed an outlet, and I needed a resource,” she said with passion.
“And what saved me was the Boys and Girls Club... That's why, you know, I try to [give back] as much as I can. But that changed my life because I had so many coaches who turned into father figures for me, and they never let me feel sorry for myself, right? And Coach Maurice, I have to give a shout out to him. I always look at him like a father... He never let me feel sorry for myself. He held me accountable. I used to play basketball with the boys growing up,” the baller expressed.
3. Losing The Rap Game turned her into a better lyricist
At the age of 12, the “Came Out A Beast” artist was a contestant on Jermaine Dupri’s hit show “The Rap Game.” The focus of the reality TV series was following young up-and-coming rappers competing for a So So Def record deal. She made it to the final round but didn’t take home the crown. Instead of giving up, Johnson dug deeper as an artist.
“The biggest win that I had in my life was a loss, which is crazy, right? I was on ‘The Rap Game’ with Jermaine Dupri... The kids show. We all competed in the house. It was amazing. It was one of the biggest shows ever. Shout out to JD. We need to recreate that, but one of the biggest shows ever, right? And I didn't win,” the athlete explained.
“And I was 12 years old when I was walking out of that studio. And I was so hurt. You know, like you're 12 years old... You feel like you're this close and they just slam the door on your face till you try [next time],” she went on to say. “That loss was the best thing that ever could have happened to me because I took everything to heart, and I took it so serious. I locked myself up in a room for about like two months, and I was just writing. I was writing music every day. I filled up pads, and pads and pads. All I would do is write, write, write, write, write. Just write. Just…that's all I did. And then in like three months, ‘America's Got Talent’ called.”
4. America’s Got Talent was her biggest public win musically
When Johnson was 14 years old, she appeared on another popular show, “America’s Got Talent.” After her time on stage ended, Simon Cowell took a moment to share some additional words of encouragement although she didn’t get a gold buzzer during her first appearance. “Hey! Come here, you. That was incredible. Honestly, incredible,” the U.K. native told her. “Like I said, I don’t know a lot about rap music. I think what you did there was so incredible and fantastic. I’m thrilled for you.”
She hit the stage for another round where a celebrity guest judge had the ability to give out one golden buzzer.
“I had that cosign when I was 14, but they had already given away all their golden buzzers, right? So, they told me that and it was like damn... because I was one of the latest additions, but another round they do is Judge Cuts. A celebrity judge comes, and they get one golden buzzer. Chris Hardwick gave it to me,” she said. “He was so touched. I was overcome with emotions. And when the golden buzzer stuff [happens], the confetti was falling down on me... It was just like my dad [was just] telling me, ‘There you go.’”
“And in that moment, I felt like everything made sense. It's like... I'm gonna keep it 100 percent real. How the hell do you sell a young, Black, dark-skinned female that's just rapping, not cursing, positive? It's like, I didn't think people understood it. I didn't think they would get it. And then when I got that golden buzzer... and it was given to me by a man that wasn't Black, that probably don't even listen to rap for real,” the hooper added.
5. She hasn’t signed to a label because she wants to remain authentic
Being a dark-skinned female rapper who focuses on writing uplifting songs, the talent wasn’t sure she would be backed in the entertainment industry. So, Johnson never signed a record deal to make certain she could become the artist she always dreamed of being.
“I think trying to make music that fits is kind of the dumbest thing ever. I hate when I go meet with a label... You go there and they try to tell you what to make, they try to tell you how to dress, they try to tell you how to look. No, you know what I mean,” she shared. “And I'm a big believer in standing firm on that and [creating] music that feeds my soul. Like if the music don't make me feel good, I don't want to drop it. I don't want to make it, and I won't make it, and I won't put it out. But you know, I like music that feeds my soul because I know somebody else is gonna feel it too. And that's just all it's about, just giving that energy. It's all about energy.”
6. Basketball keeps her humble
When you’re in the spotlight, it’s easy to get cocky, which is why she’s always aimed to be humble instead of arrogant, and basketball helps her keep that down-to-earth mentality.
“Basketball has a way of humbling, right? Because you don't know what's going to happen when you step out on that court. You might come out there and drop 50 or you might break every shot. You know what I mean?” she disclosed about the sport. “But I just, I don't know. I just never, I never wanted to be that girl. Like I never cared about being the it girl... I just always cared about being myself, right? And so it was never like a role that I had to play. It was nothing that I was faking. It was just genuine.”
7. Building a resource center in her hometown is next
After the huge impact the Boys and Girls Club had on Johnson’s life, she wants to pour into the youth of Savannah.
“Okay, let me break it down to you. You remember when I told you that the Boys and Girls Club was the place for me where I found myself? I want to build that and honor my father's legacy as well. The building that he was murdered in front of is still there. And it was his studio, which is crazy,” Johnson said. “And it was acquired by the city of Savannah, and we fought so hard for years to get that building. And now it's finally in the works. And we're working with investors to really get this building started, and it's going to be a resource center and a place for kids to go and to be able to get away from the crime and the violence in Savannah, Georgia. I mean, it's terrible. And I think it's going to be a place where, you know, the dreamers can go.”
“I believe that it's my duty to change a life, and change a perspective, and change a mind in Savannah, Georgia because not everybody comes from where I come from... Not everybody got a mother that I have. And they're going to be able to have the opportunity to change their perspective because I keep telling you it's all perspective,” she added.