On May 9, LSU guard and rapper Flau'jae Johnson dropped a remix of Latto's "Put It On Da Floor". In putting her own style on the track, Johnson included the lyric "In this 911, blowing smoke like them towers." The song quickly went viral for all the wrong reasons, with right-wing outlets such as Fox and Outkick very angry at Johnson for "mocking" 9/11.
The song was quickly removed from YouTube and social media. LSU put out an official statement apologizing on behalf of Johnson. “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,” the statement read in part. However, the apology came from LSU and not Johnson herself.
Johnson Adds Own Apology For 9/11 Reference
While Johnson did not immediately respond to the controversy, she has now come out with a statement of her own. “I just want to come on here and let ya’ll know by no means would I ever intentionally try to disrespect or offend anyone,” Johnson said on Instagram. “My whole goal in music is to push positivity and spread love. So, in no way shape or form would I ever intentionally try to disrespect or offend anyone.” Despite the claims from the right-wing media, it's clear that the 19-year-old performer did not maliciously include the include.
Johnson, who performs under the stage name Flau'jae, has seen her work thrust into a bright spotlight after LSU claimed their first-ever women's basketball National Championship in April. She teased a collab with Lil Wayne soon after cutting the nets down. Later on in the month, she also revealed she was working on a track with DJ Khaled. LSU has stood by their SEC freshman of the year and does not intend to further reprimand her for the ill-advised bar.
[via]