LSU releases statement after Flau'jae Johnson rap song featuring 9/11 reference removed from social media

LSU issued a statement after a rap song released by women’s basketball star Flau’jae Johnson on Tuesday referenced the attacks on Sept. 11.

Johnson’s new rap video was posted to YouTube on Tuesday but was later taken down after the Sept. 11 lyric drew scrutiny across the Internet on various social media platforms.

“We spoke with Flau’jae this evening, and while she never intended to offend or upset anyone with her lyrics, she expressed sincere remorse for any possibility of a misunderstanding and immediately took the video down. We will learn and grow from this experience together,” LSU said in a statement released to Fox News Digital and OutKick.

Clickbait 😵‍💫 @Flaujae pic.twitter.com/M0X1W0K893

— Slick (@slickthashooter) May 8, 2023

Flau’jae Johnson averaged 11.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game this season for the Tigers as they won the program’s first national championship, under second-year coach Kim Mulkey.

The new rap song came about a month after the title win and included lyrics celebrating the win, as well as LSU’s recent addition of Louisville star Hailey Van Lith.

But the lyric in question was a reference to Sept. 11.

“In this 911, blowing smoke just like them towers,” Johnson rapped, a crossover reference to the Porsche 911, a popular sports car.

While Flau’jae Johnson is a star on the hardwood, she’s also a star behind a microphone, having rapped from a very young age.

The daughter of the late rapper Camouflauge, famous for his hit songs “Cut Friends” and “Laying My Stunt Down,” Johnson has appeared on the Lifetime reality show “The Rap Game” and has also performed on “America’s Got Talent.”

Johnson is signed to a distribution deal with Roc Nation, an entertainment agency founded by the rapper Jay-Z in 2008.

So while the level of Johnson’s fame has increased in the wake of LSU’s national title, it’s not entirely new to her. She is one of the most marketable athletes in college athletics.

Flau’jae Johnson has one of the highest On3′ NIL Valuations, checking in at an estimated $812,000 annually. That figure ranks No. 36 in the On3 NIL100, while it checks in at No. 2 in women’s college basketball.

Only fellow LSU star Angel Reese has a higher On3 NIL Valuation, listed at $1.4 million.

That is, of course, in part based on the platform LSU provided as the eventual 2023 national champions. The Tigers executed a tremendous turnaround under former Baylor coach Kim Mulkey, who took the LSU job prior to the 2021-22 season.

The year prior to Mulkey’s arrival LSU won just nine games, but in two short years Mulkey compiled a 60-8 overall record with two NCAA Tournament appearances — including this year’s national championship run.