Club Shay Shay - Club Shay Shay - Flau'jae Johnson Part 1

Episode Date: July 16, 2025

On this episode of Club Shay Shay, Shannon Sharpe sits down with LSU basketball star, rapper, and Roc Nation signee Flau’jae Johnson — a true force in both sports and music. She reflects on being discovered on Lifetime’s The Rap Game with Jermaine Dupri, seeing Latto on the show before her own rise, and meeting legends like Queen Latifah, Da Brat, Fabolous, and Rick Ross. She reveals her dream collabs — Missy Elliott, Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B — and shares her Female Rapper Mount Rushmore. Flau’jae dives into her unforgettable America’s Got Talent moment and the impact of Simon Cowell’s words: “You’re going to be a star.” She gets emotional discussing the loss of her father before she was born, the pain of hearing stories she never got to live, and his unsolved case — including the powerful dream that brought her closer to him.From performing in clubs at 8 years old to touring with Mindless Behavior, Flau’jae explains how music was always in her blood. She shares how Boosie, Birdman, and Jeezy respected her father, and how Boosie looked out for her early on.She speaks on her respect for Coach Dawn Staley, while showing love to other coaches like Yolett McPhee-McCuin. Though her dream school was originally Georgia, LSU gave her the chance to shine — and under Coach Kim Mulkey, she never had to dim her light.She breaks down winning the national championship, the bond with Angel Reese, Jasmine Carson, and LaDazhia Williams, and her take on women’s sports rising, Caitlin Clark, and whether there’s real tension in the WNBA. She addresses the media pitting Caitlin and Angel against each other, and celebrates Angel’s WNBA 2K26 cover.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Check out Behind the Flow, a podcast documentary series following the launch of San Diego Football Club. San Diego coming to MLS is going to be a game changer because this region has been hungry for a men's professional soccer team. We need to embrace this community. We need to embrace this community. Listen to San Diego FC Behind the Flow on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Who are the 25 greatest football players to grace the gridiron since the year 2000, introducing NFL Daly's top 25 players of the last 25 years.

Join me, Greg Rosenthal and an all-star cast of media personalities including Mina Keim, Steve Weisch, Kevin Harlan and more for a look at football's best since the turn of the century. Listen to NFL Daily's top 25 players of the last 25 years starting on June 30th on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. If I rap right now, it'll give you chills. Let's go ahead and do that.

Look at the camera. I'm so real, the mayor gave me a day in my city, but it's so sad that I can't even go and stay in my city shooting and killing little kids can't even play in my city. It's so wicked. They killed my dad and brought day in my city, but I still love them. I give them all the time that I got it's running out but I give you all the time that I got you was the fakest on my team and I'm just finding it out that made me sick until my stomach bout to vomit it out and I'm like ready or not

man it's my time now I done gave it everything I got it's time to shine now they done blew the whistle in my foot across the line now clock is ticking down they got no 30 second timeout for real though I know I'm gonna make it cuz I don't seek an applause I vow to never waste my voice if I don't speak for a cause I reminisce when I just think and I pause my mama told me you keep shooting for the moon you gonna have a seat with them stars oh god I like that All my life been grinding all my life sacrifice hustle paid the price want a slice

got the roller dice that's why all my life I've been grinding on my life All my life and grinding on my life Sacrifice hustle paid the price One a slice got the rolling dice. That's why all my life I've been grinding on my life Hello welcome to another episode of Club Shae. I am your host, Shannon Sharp. I'm also the proprietor of Club CheChe. Stopping by for conversation of the day, no drinking, she's in training, a generational talent, one of the most marketable athletes in college sport.

She's a multi-hyphenated, dominating in basketball, rap, and in business. She helped the Lady Tigers win their first ever national championship, a gold medalist, an AP All-American, first team All-SCC, SEC Freshman of the Year, a McDonald's All-American, an accomplished artist, athlete, and a businesswoman. A true triple threat all the way from the Seaport. Yes, Savannah Georgia. Here she is, ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Flagey Johnson.

Savannah Georgia. Ah! Ooh, that sounded cool. All of that in front of my name. Thank you. That was cool. So thank that in front of my name. That was cool. So thank you for stopping by.

Thank you for having me. Thank you so much. So how difficult was it for teachers and classmates and friends to pronounce that name? Oh, they still can't pronounce it. Man, I've gotten flou-jay, flu-jay, all type of jays. They spell it wrong, but I don't take any offense to it. It'd be funny sometimes when I go out. So they'd just say Miss Johnson, or did the teachers even give up on her?

Sometimes they'd be like, the substitute teachers be like, baby, I'm not gonna say this name. She'd be like, what's your name? And I was like, Flau-ge, like flawless. Is that a play, and we're gonna talk about your father, is that a play off of his name because he went by the stage name Camouflage in Soul Flage.

Yep, that's it. That's it. Yeah, his name is Camouflage, so he named me Flage Monet. OK. And it kind of rhymes. So let me ask you this. How was it growing up in Savannah? Because I went to school in Savannah.

I'm very familiar with Savannah. Savannah was cool. Like, I grew up, we was outside. OK. We was outside. I feel like I'm like the last of the people who got to really be outside, like with your friends all day. And it was just competitive. Like I was around like an older crowd, but I never got to like be with them.

You know, so I just played basketball all day. But Savannah was fun, bro. Like, of course it has its bad, you know, areas and stuff like that. But where I was, it was fun. What's your best memory as a child? Ooh, my best memory as a child? Probably when I played for the boys club. Frank Cowan Boys and Girls Club. I was a cheerleader.

I played baseball with the boys. I was a pitcher. And those times, I really just molded me into the person I am today. That's why I think recreational centers and stuff like that for the kids are so important because I had a lot of coaches that was like father figures and that was like the prominent thing that I had in Savannah for sure. You do realize like normally cheerleaders, they're not playing like basketball.

Yeah. You know, normally the cheerleaders they're cheering for the athletes. Yeah. They don't turn around and like I mean could you like cheer like for like one group of different... I wasn't a basketball cheerleader. I was cheering for the football team. Oh, you were cheering for the football team? Yeah, when basketball season was... I was on the floor.

Oh, you were with the pom-poms? I was on the floor. My mama made me cheer because I was athletic and I could do back handspring, but I hated it. I used to be so mad with my pom-poms. I was like, I want to play football. I wanted to play football. So I was just there because my mama made me.

Well, that's awesome. There's an intersection, and Well, that's awesome. There's an intersection. And for people that's not familiar with it, it's like in Savannah, there's Abricorn, and then you got West Montgomery Crossroad. I mean, you got the big street. So you got like Abricorn, Dureen,

and then you got Skidaway and Victory. And then you got, I mean, you got an intersection. Yeah, it's so cool. How do you got an intersection? That, no, that was crazy. When they said it was giving me one, I was like, like a whole lot. But it's a really a an intersection. Yeah, it's so cool. How do you got an intersection? No, that was crazy. When they said it was giving me one, I was like, like a whole lot. But it's really a whole intersection.

You drive this way, you see Flau'jae Johnson intersection. You drive that way, Flau'jae. And it's crazy, because I remember taking that same route to go to Daft Park and go to Bacon Park and go play at all these tournaments and stuff like that. And just being celebrated in that way, that was big. I just spent a lot of time. I don't know if it's still over there they had an

unbelievable Chinese restaurant with fried rice I forget the name but boy. I know they done built a place. I like the five star one I don't know if it was where it was at they had them fried gizzards by. The fried gizzards are so good. They gonna call us country and tell us we like the gizzards. That video you eating though. Oh yeah, when I was talking about we got fried chicken, catfish, candy ale, mac and cheese,

the neck bone. Yeah, put that on the edit. So you played baseball, you played basketball, you were a cheerleader. So you're a cheerleader for the football team. Right. What's that? Because normally cheering is a year round, a cheerleader for the football team Once that because it's not normally like cheering is a year round So you cheer for the football team cheer for the basketball team and whatever else the pep rally you get that going So you was just like a one sport cheerleader football season and it wasn't that was over. I had to One time I just cried and I was like, I'm not doing this no more shoes are you gonna have to do it anymore?

You can play basketball. But yeah. What was your best sport coming up? My best sport? I was always good at basketball. You was? I was always good. Did you play with the girls? No, I played with the boys.

I played with the guys. Because it wasn't a girls team at that point. This was back then. So it was only boys. And I grew up like, me and Arm and my teammate, Montae, Ken, all those guys, I used to play with them at the Boys and Girls Club. I was the only girl, though. Do you think that's what helped you become the player

that you became? Because normally, guys mature physically a lot sooner than women, and you had to because you wanted to compete. You wanted to get chosen. You wanted to be out there on the court, so you couldn't be a liability. Right. No, and it was never that.

And I had a chip on my shoulder. Shout out my coach Maurice. He was like a father figure to me. Like I would cry. He would treat me like the guys. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like it wasn't no you a girl. You gonna put these shorts on you gonna play.

He held me accountable. He pushed me and it made me like I'm gonna beat all these boys. Like I'm gonna be better than all of y'all and I just really went. That's how I went like for real, but held me accountable and he ain't let me cut corners if you know how to run I had to run the whole sprint like everybody football field all of that like he he helped me accountable so I got really good like I got really good. If you could have played football what position were you gonna play? So I'm gonna play quarterback. You know what I'm saying? You want the glamour position.

You know cover girl like this. I want the glamour position. You know, cover girl. Like this. I thought mean spiral though, that's why. I couldn't do a wide receiver because like, bro, wide receivers, like, they're too athletic. DBs, that's the hardest position in the world. Okay. So I just know my role.

What about a running back? Oh no, I'm not going through. I'm not going through. It's 300 pounders, they're not gonna be laying on me, no. But I love football though, I love football. So when you was playing against the guys, did you beat them? Oh yeah, like this was serious, like I had smoke for them.

I was literally like, I think I was like one of the best on my team, like they knew it was up. I was really good, but it made me better when I played against the girls, like it was cake. Just cause my pace I think, you know, it was so fast so yeah, I was good Oh, they know what's up all my boys on a boys club. Yeah, I know what's up Now you don't tell the story she beat me. I was one of the guys There was that was all I think it was I don't know what Asia Wilson was on and she was they were asking her

Could she be the NBA player cuz she I think it was Josh Hart don't know what Asia Wilson was on. And they were asking her, could she be the NBA player? I think it was Josh Hart. And she said she could be, do you believe that a WNBA player could be the NBA player? I was just talking about this. I just don't, it's not physically possible. You know what I'm saying? I could barely grab room, you over the backboard.

I'm not about to play you. But like, no, an NBA player, like, no. What about, let's just say we took a top 5 W NBA player so we took Stewie we took Asia we put we took feed and the feature call you who else you want to put in you want to throw a Nesquik in there you want to throw a Jean-Claude Jones I mean you want to put Kaitlin Clark whoever and I'm gonna take let's just say for the sake of argument I take the 12th guy not not obviously Katie LeBron Luke and everybody happening

But I'm saying we're gonna take the 12th 13th or 14th guy He don't get in but like two minutes left in the game when they up by 25 or they down by 25 Could they be one of them? It just depends on the metrics No, we gotta play ain't no handicap. It's straight up basketball. Dumb guys can dunk. Dumb guys are all Americans.

You know how hard it is to get in the NBA? I do understand. Literally, I got a new appreciation for Summer League. I'm like, all these guys are playing for one or two spots. Correct. And these guys, boom, and they're seven footers, bro. I can't get in that argument. Because I know I can't.

I'll tell you that. You six, eight, and a point guard. What am I about to do? I'm five, ten. I'm almost five I can't get in that argument. Cause I know I can't, I'll tell you that. Like you six, eight in the point guard. What am I about to do? I'm five, 10, almost five, 11. Right. But if you could, let me ask you a question. You say you liked to play when you were growing up, you played against the guys.

Would you like to train with NBA players? Oh yes. Oh my gosh. I met Kyrie Irving yesterday and bro, it was so cool. I go to Vegas a lot. But he was like, you know, I really respect what you do. I love your raps, I love your basketball. And I was talking with one of his affiliates,

and he was like, yeah, we gonna get you in the gym. I was like, I'm trying to act like I'm not tweaking out, but I'm like, okay, cool. Like, you know? I'm like geek, and I go, what? I said, fuck off. But then I text Klay Thompson, because I've always been this impressed

with his balance and his footwork. And I'm like, you know, I would really come, just love to watch you work, you know what I'm saying? Sometimes you just wanna see a person in their element. And I was like, I wanna come watch you work. He hit me, he was like, yo, when I get back to Dallas, you know, we could definitely get some shots up. So I've kind of been reaching out, but.

Yeah, you know, he kind of busy now. Ah! Yeah! I know, I know, when you get back, okay. Yeah. But now, like, you know, it's just so cool, like, being respected by my peers, you know what I know, even when you get back, okay. Yeah. But now, like, you know, it's so cool, like, being respected by my peers. Yes, yeah.

You know what I'm saying? Because it's like, I just want to learn, bro. Like, you know, especially in basketball, I just want to learn. Like, I just want to sit around you and try to, what's your routine, like, asking questions like that. So, it's super cool. Because, you know, you do realize, like, okay,

you're going back to college, but, you know, this is your last, gonna be your last year of college, and now you go to the WNBA. That's a real job. Ain't no more study hall. Ain't no more child hall. Ain't no more workouts. You are, I mean, you're a grown woman now,

but I'm saying you grown, you own your own. You gotta get your own housing. You gotta get to and from practice. You have to just develop a routine. And to get ahead, start a life. Guys, let me ask you a question. So what time is practice? If we have practice at this time, what do I do? What do I eat? And then I go to practice. Then what do y'all do after practice? Is that some of the information that you're

trying to find out? Absolutely. But I'm going to excel in that category because I've been on a 5 a.m. routine since high school. Wow. Yeah. I've been disciplined since high school. I first started getting on the circuit at 10th grade. So I told myself, I'm'm gonna become a McDonald's All-American. I did four workouts a day for three, for two years straight and became McDonald's All-American. So like my routine is there. It's the little stuff that you don't

know that you only know from experience. Correct. You know what I'm saying? I feel like, I feel like I'm gonna excel in the WNBA because I ain't got too many stipulations on me. In college it's a lot you gotta abide by and all of that. If you're telling me I could get my work in how I do per usual, five to 10, I've got my living. And I got rest of the day. But how do you budget that time? Because that's the thing, there's so much free time.

Because you know, in college, you get your workout in, I don't know if you guys practice in the morning or the evening, okay, you get your workout in, now you got study hall, now you got weight training, now you got all this other stuff, whereas in the WNBA or being a professional, you get your work in, you done. Yes. What do you do with all that out of time? I run businesses, I'm a rapper, I be in a studio, I mentor, like I do a lot of stuff my time. Right. I don't waste my time, like I'm an executioner,

that's why I like to calm myself, like I get a plan, I get an idea, I execute, I just got it tatted, like I execute, So I really don't play with my time. And you, I'm gonna show you my notebook. Like I got timestamps all day. Like when I'm doing this time, like time blocks. I like to get stuff done. And you know, in my profession, you know, keep the main thing, the main thing.

But all those hours you got, that's when you building your dream. And so that's the kind of mentality I try to keep going for. Who's your basketball idol? LeBron. Okay. If you could ask LeBron, okay, Lebron is, Lebron was sitting right here. Yeah. What you want to ask Lebron? I'm gonna ask Lebron James, what is your mindset throughout those slumps? Like, you know what I'm saying? Because we go through these slumps in the season.

I want to know what the greatest of all time, what his mentality is like towards it. Like, you know what I'm saying? Not when the times are good, but when it's bad. When it's bad. Because we can all be good so, like, because I always, when I go through these slumps, mentality is towards it. Not when the times are good, but when it's bad. When it's bad. Because we can all be good. Because when I go through these slums, they got my coaches telling me, no, no, no. But I'm like, man, come on. But one of the greatest of all time, I want to know how do you get through that? You work through it.

Do you know what I'm saying? Your confidence, where your mindset? Because he done been through so many trials. Being a celebrity and being in the basketball world, how do you balance that family? Ever since he was 17. Exactly. He doesn't know what it's like

not to have a camera in his face. Literally, yeah. He doesn't get to go to the mall, he doesn't get to go to the movies, he don't get to go. The stuff that you take for granted. Facts. Is like, wow.

I mean, I wish I could just go to the movie with my kids. I wish I could just go to the mall movie with my kids. I wish I could just go to the mall with my kids and go to dinner with my kids and not have security and everybody. I'm starting to feel it, cause like I'd be going, I like to go to the movies. I'm in the movie club at AMC.

And you know how it is? So I start getting stopped, like, you know what I'm saying, a lot. Like, you know what I'm saying? I'm like, I can't even get my popcorn no more. I gotta send my boyfriend to get my popcorn. And I go up there. But it's like certain things you can't do and I can only imagine being

on LeBron's stash like you can't even eat dinner no you know I'm saying so it's a lot that come with it like right being the great good you go to Savannah high Beach no I didn't go to high school in Savannah you didn't know what you know I moved out there I went to Sprayberry High School and in Atlanta yep made history there they They retired number four. They retired number four. All time record leader, scoring leader, all of that. So ain't nobody, as

long as Sprayberry's in existence, there's never gonna be a young lady that will ever be able to dawn to number four, unless they ask Flau'jae. Hey, and you know I'm for the kids, so if there's somebody that's hard and colder that's coming out of Sprayware and you want that phone, you better represent that phone to the teeth.

Well, what happens if she get it and she ain't like that? Yeah, I ain't gonna give it to you. How you know, though? You won't know it till she get it. I gotta watch some film or we gonna work out together. Like, you want my number? You hit me up, I'll be like, all right, let me see what you got.

You might have to say that number for Love Flow. Love Flow, right, right, right. Facts, facts. All the time away, but it's a fact. You're the first girl to have her number retired at that high school. School's all-time leading scorer, Region 6A, Player of the Year, MVP of Brand Jordan Classic.

25 years, 25 players. Before training camp kickstarts a new NFL season, NFL Daily is going to look back. It is a special six episode series where myself, Greg Rosenthal and some of the top NFL minds like Kevin Harlan, Mina Kimes and Bill Barnwell make the case for each player. We're taking a look back, giving you NFL Daily's top 25 players of the last 25 years. So who made the list? You know, Tom Brady's on it.

Where's Patrick Mahomes? Mahomes is under the end zone! Touchdown Kansas City! He's on it. How about Lamar Jackson? Jackson takes it himself. Look at him dart back and forth. Oh, he broke his ankles and he's got a touchdown.

He is Houdini! You are going to have to listen to find out, listen to NFL Daily's top 25 players of the last 25 years starting on June 30th on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Behind the Flow, a podcast documentary series following the launch of San Diego Football Club. We go behind the scenes and explore the stories of those involved. San Diego coming to MLS is going to be a game changer because this region has been hungry for a men's professional soccer team. We need veteran players and we need young players. Like you're

building a team from scratch and so the succession plan of long-term success needs to be defined. We need to embrace this community. When I was 13, my uncle took me to a qualifier. And we watched Paraguay against Chile, pouring rain, just watching the fans jumping up and down. I think that was definitely a watershed moment for me. Not only was that going to be my game, but it was going to be my life.

Listen to San Diego FC behind the flow. Now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. McDonald's All-American. Was that, what was your, let me ask you a question. Going into your senior year, you said, I wanted to be a McDonald's all-american Obviously you play basketball. I think everybody that plays at a level you play jv You want to play varsity you play varsity you have dreams and aspirations of going to college you play college ball

Some people don't like hey just as far as the train will go for me and i'm cool with that But talking to you just a little bit i've been talking to you You always wanted to go to that next step So in high school your senior year, what were the steps, what did you need to do to make sure, you know what, I'm a McDonald's All-American, I'm a Brand Jordan All-American, and I get a D1 scholarship? That's only one thing a dog gonna do, go kill everybody at the top of the list. That's the only way I know how to come out. Right. I gotta go get Big Dog if I

say I'm Big Dog. So everybody in my class, like I had a screenshot on my phone and I'm just like, yup, got you, got you. Summertime, AAU tournaments, wherever you at, we coming. And that's how we came. And that's the only way I jumped from 56 in the nation to the number six guard in the nation. And then nobody heard of me before my 10th grade year. Like, you know what I'm saying?

Like, I was unheard of. And man, I worked hard, but I wanted to go get everybody. Like, I couldn't duck no smoke. I wanted all the smoke. You wanted them all up. I wanted all the smoke. And it's on camera, it's on YouTube. You playing the Iverson classic.

Yep. But you the only young lady. Only girl. Yeah, shout out Raven from South Carolina. She did it. Raven Johnson. Raven Johnson, out Raven from South Carolina. She did it. Raven Johnson. Raven Johnson, and then I did it. Right.

And so it was super cool. I'm not gonna lie. That's crazy, because I seen AI last night. I was like, bro, I pray to your classic. He's like, I know you. I'm like, bro, I'm just letting you know. Yeah. So what was it like?

So now you have this, your senior year, you do everything that you say you want to accomplish. But I'm sure some of these McDonald's All-American young ladies that you had never seen before. So now, this is the best of the best. You're not at Sprayberry where every night you step on the floor, you're the best player. Now all of a sudden you're with 24 other young ladies and when they stepped on the floor, they were the best. And now we got 24 young ladies on the floor. What's your mindset? Man, I'm trying to destroy y'all. I'm trying to destroy y'all. That's my

mentality. I'm not y'all teammates. You know what I'm saying? They picked us to see like okay who really the top out. So that was my mentality going into it. I was so upset. I did not play a good game was my mentality going into it. I was so upset. I did not play a good game in the McDonald's All-American game. I broke my finger. It's on my YouTube series on Netflix. I broke my finger in practice and I couldn't shoot.

I was so upset. I was crying after the McDonald's All-American game. I was like, this was my shot, this was my shot. And then, you know, we had it again, Jordan. So I came back and I was MVP. I was like, cook them. Like I did slam I did Jordan and then I did McDonald's and I got two out of three of the MVP's. Yeah, so high school I was a menace. I'm chill now

So did you get a chance to meet Mike was Mike did Mike? No, he wasn't even there. He was not there. What about the McDonald's All-American? Because sometimes guys come back and they see, especially if they were McDonald's, obviously, were McDonald's All-American. Did you come? So did you get a chance to meet anybody? I met a lot of people. That was a long time ago. I met, I met Bradley Bill was like,

I was like one of his favorites and like, no, that was, that was pretty much it. That was the highlight from that. Because I was so locked in. like when I go to those things, I don't really be into the semantics. I'm trying to, you know. You trying to kill somebody. I'm here for business, yeah.

Yeah, I got you. So you go on, we're gonna transition to your other, I don't know if this a hobby, your passion. Yes, passion. Your passion. Jermaine DiPrescio, the rap game. Yeah. You're making your name as a rapper.

Now, I don't know if there are like, a lot of times, like if my dad or my mom was a doctor or this or that, you know, kids follow in that profession. I don't know if they're like, somebody has a dad that was a rapper or a mom that was a rapper and then the daughter tries to follow in those footsteps. Was that a conscious decision that you wanted to be a rapper or was it something that just happened? It wasn't a conscious decision.

It just got pulled to me like, excuse me. It was different for me because my daddy got killed. You know what I'm saying? He got murdered. Right. And he was doing this and I just had such a strong connection to him to his music, right? Because I didn't know him and I never got to meet him So it's different for me when I do music because it's really coming from within. Yeah, you know, like it's coming from the pain

You know I'm saying I'm not having my dad and him wanting to live by his dream and then they being taken away from him But in some ways, I just feel like God gave it to me So I feel like that's why people don't understand like they think you know she just want to rap She want to who but it's like no like I'm doing something bigger than me like I want to fulfill my father's legacy People could know his name more than mine. You know I'm saying and so it's just a different duty for me That's why I just I work so hard to balance it You know I'm saying but it's not like my dad doing this one do I never see my dad do it, right? You know saying you just heard a lot. I just heard his music and I feel like that's our connection

on the show Did it help you Advanced your career in the rap game, but what I'm gonna give a big shout out to Jermaine Dupree man That that show changed my life Wow bro. What that show is coming on every Friday after Dancing Dolls and That show was coming on every Friday after Dancing Dolls and 10pm on Lifetime and people was tuned in. I remember one time it was like, we was over the Masters and like the viewership and airing and the big old golf tournament and I was like, wow the Masters is big, like this is big.

And so people still, I'm 21, I was 13 on the rap game. They were like, oh my God, you fly J from the rap game. Like they remember me from the rap game. I'm like, bro, I do so much now. Like I go to LSU, you know what but they know me from that. So man, Jermaine Dupree He really did a big one with that. You got an opportunity to meet obviously JD is his show between Latifah, Rick Ross, Fab, Da Brat Yeah, how was it meeting them because excuse me, Da Brat Latifah, I don't think Latifah gets the credit that she deserves when you start talking about a women rapper

You know, everybody naturally go to Nicky and rightfully so and Lil Kim and Foxy Brown But Latifah MC light those are Missy. I'm light as a rock I'm like what those women right there they're different And I say that because Queen Latifah is everything I really want to be as far as all around goddess that because Queen Latifah is everything I really want to be as far as all around goddess. That girl is a legend. She's from Cleo to Miss Wright. Queen Latifah do everything. The music, it made me fall in love with her when I dug back into that because I didn't know. You know for my generation she's just an actor but then I go back and she rapping with the lady from London and they

rocking on the tracks and like I was like wow, that's perseverance, that's great. And I feel like for me, you gotta respect the ladies that come before you. You know what I'm saying? You have to learn from that because you're gonna get closer to your creativity when it was originated. And I just feel like you gotta pay homage. Missy, she put on for the dark skinned woman

and the trailblaze. She made everything cool. She was way, Missy's ahead of her time. I don't know how much of her videos that you've seen, but her videos are all futuristic. They would be, I mean, that was in the 90s, in the early 2000s, and they would be ahead of their time today.

That's how great she was and legendary she was. As far as the video, we know her music, we know her rap. K-Dus is unprecedented. Lauryn Hill. Yeah. Like you talk is unprecedented. Lauryn Hill. Yeah. Like you talk about death and like soul. Mm-hmm.

Real deep, like she's connected. What do you think the number one thing that you learned from being on that show? Ooh, how to command and have that presence. You know what I'm saying? Like you, how to be a star kinda. You don't have to walk in and be loud and be boastful and be arrogant. You know what I'm saying? To be a star, like it don't have to walk in and be loud and be boastful and be arrogant

You know I'm saying to be a star like it's just your aura. It's just your aroma So, you know, I just start to be laid back and cool like JD he laid back and cool Yeah, JD, you know saying so it just taught me, you know how to be professional How to have studio etiquette, you know Just doing the right things as an artist that could be like lost in this art Like really was like artists development, right and that's what a lot of artists don't have is artist development. That's why I don't laugh. So, you know, just you really understand we get that opportunity. You got to take heed in that. Why do you think JD's has so much success

with kid Bow Wow, Chris Cross, he's had such success with young teenage mean, I mean, Bow Wow was so young when he got by why crisscross he's and he said I think he said he saw them in the mall one day and people were going crazy like what do I know about them why do you think he's had such success but like some people just know the blueprint like even these kids you see on social media you'd be like what do you what they doing but they making millions on social media because they understand like yes he understood it early

and just how he came back and doubled back with the rap game, he understood it again. You know what I'm saying? I feel like he could do it again. You know what I'm saying? So I think he just understand that blueprint. Some people are just gifted, you know what I'm saying? And they really work hard and explore their talents.

A lot of people don't, but he had the eye for it. That's what I think. Lada was on that rap game, wasn't she? And she won. Yeah. Did that make you want to get? What? Yes.

I ain't gonna lie. When I was, I think I was like 12. All I see is kid rappers. And I'm a kid rapper, I think I am. And I see all these kids. And I'm like, bro, first season I seen Lado, Lil Nico. I think it was like Young Lyric. I was like, Super Peach, they was all walking and rapping. I was like, oh my gosh, this is so cool. You like, they do, I can doric. I was like Super P. Today was all walking and rapping.

I was like, oh my gosh, this is so cool. You like, they do, I can do it. I was on a mission. Yeah. That was my mission was to get on that show. I had no other mission. I was like, I'm gonna get on that show. Did rap at that juncture of your life,

was rap more important than basketball? At that point, yeah. Cause with basketball, I was just going on the court every day, working myself out. I never had a trainer, walking I was just going on the court every day working myself out I never had a trainer walking to LA Fitness playing the guys all day Like that's all I did until like like my coach Jay Shout out coach Jay He he was like flies like you could play in like you could play in college like you can go to college for this

I'm like no I can't I didn't know like the double WNBA wasn't prevalent or nothing like this So I'm thinking about rap. I'm like just do this on the side Right like nah like and then like coach yo from Ole Miss she was like I I'm thinking about rap. I'm like, I'm just do this on the side. He like, nah, like, and then like coach Rio from Ole Miss, she was like, I'm offering you a scholarship. And I was like, wow. That's when I kind of started believing in the basketball.

But you still have never left that rap. Even though you think about basketball and you devote a lot of time to basketball, you make sure you get your shots up, you make sure you get your rest and you make sure you get the training and the weight room but still there's something about that rap that just tugs at Flau'jae. It's because so many people doubt me like and I feel like people don't give me a chance because I play basketball like you know I'm saying they don't really give a chance to it

but it just something that I can't stop I can't stop recording I can't stop making music when you know you get that joy from something that I can't stop. I can't stop recording. I can't stop making music. When you know you get that joy from something, that joy where you could be doing it for hours and you don't care, that's the joy I get from making music. And that's the same joy I get from being in the workout. So it's like I know I'm supposed to be doing this. I can't put it down. Well, you're unique in that way because it's not like Nikki has another hobby that she's probably just as passionate about or she's just as good at as rap.

You happen to be an athlete that can dribble the basketball, can shoot, can put the ball in the hoop at an elite level, but you also equally abreast at getting on the mic and flowing. Yeah, Nikki Minaj, don't come get me the barbs. But nah, that set me apart. Yes. You know what I'm saying? That's what I like.

You like that. I love that. That's my advantage. You like being you deep. I'm different. That's what I'm saying. I'm one of one. I got that energy.

But everybody got that. You know what I'm saying? I feel like everybody got that give. I just understood mine. I had a mom that was like, no, you're going to do this. And if you're going to do it, we're going to do it. OK. That was mom-dukes.

But she was like, that make Flau'che different. Fla yeah that was mom deuce but she was like that make flashe different like flashe just different and I was like mom you right like nobody doing this women rappers if you could kill if you like you got your choice I'm gonna give you four you only get four past or present that you could collab with who you jumping on the mic with I gotta go Missy Just got to got to I gotta go Nikki like Nikki Nikki ran rap as long as I was alive till I got old. Yeah, you gotta go Nikki. Oh It's from the ya'll a you got flow melee you got glow real look you got Meg I'm gonna you got lotto you got ice spice. You got Flo Milly, you got Glorilla, you got Meg, you got Lotto, you got Ice Spice, you got Sexy Red.

I ain't even, we ain't even met your little Kevin Foxxie Brown and you go. I'm gonna go Meg and I'm gonna go Cardi. Okay. Yeah. Because, let me tell you what, all of them different. Yeah, very. Nicki, she ran a game, Lauryn Hill, Queen, Meg and Cardi,

I feel like Cardi came up different. I feel like Cardi really was the, well, is like the biggest female that came out in that social media era. You know, people knew Cardi B on her social before they knew her from music. And then she blew up number one record. She finally about to drop again, that's gonna be dope.

And then Megan, I feel like she really came in and could rap. You know what I'm saying, a lot of people, they can't rap, but she really can rap. like you know say a lot of people they can't rap But she really can rap so right I'll say those for give me a mount rushmore Bro, you do really on the Florida cuz the other people like give me Mount Rushmore And they'd be trying to put five six heads I like did y'all go to school did y'all do anything in history know there's only four heads on Mount Rushmore My wrong are my female rappers female rapper Mount Rushmore. Okay. I gotta go Lauren gotta go Nikki. I

Know I said her but Eve is on there for me. Damn you ain't want to do no collab with him But she owe you my rush more who Eve I do want to cloud you ain't know you ain't put on it Oh, I do I take it back. Well, I gotta take somebody off. Well who you take it off I gotta take somebody off. Well, who you take it off? I can add another head on that. I love Eve, bro. Eve talk to the soul. That love is blind.

Yeah. Dang. You done messed me up, bro. I don't even know no more. And Nikki. So you got Nikki. You got Lauryn Hill. You got Eve.

I said Nikki twice. So we got Nikki, you got Lauryn Hill, you got Eve. I said Nikki twice. You said Nikki twice. So we got Nikki, we got Eve, and we got Lauryn Hill. So you get one more. We got to go Queen Latifah then. Queen Latifah's up there for sure. No doubt about it. Stop trying to trick me up.

We're going to come back to her. We're going to take some of them heads off and ask some old people. Yeah, right, right, right. I love everybody. America's Got Talent. Yes. So, you get on, you get the call, you go on America's Got Talent. What was that experience like?

Oh, it was beautiful. Right? Because I already knew, I'm a young black girl. Yes. This demographic is more so You know like a Caucasian artists wider artists. I'm like, I love this like I want everybody to listen to my music I don't want a fan base of words Just like you know look like you but I look like me because people that don't look like you still go through similar battles

Yeah, 25 years 25 players before camp kickstarts a new NFL season, NFL Daily is going to look back. It is a special six episode series where myself, Greg Rosenthal and some of the top NFL minds like Kevin Harlan, Mina Kimes and Bill Barnwell make the case for each player. We're taking a look back, giving you NFL Dailyaley's top 25 players of the last 25 years. So who made the list? You know, Tom Brady's on it. Where's Patrick Mahomes? Mahomes is into the end zone!

Touchdown, Kansas City! He's on it. How about Lamar Jackson? Jackson takes it himself. Look at him, dark back and forth. Oh, he broke his ankles and he's got a touchdown. He is Houdini. You are gonna have to listen to find out,

listen to NFL Daily's top 25 players of the last 25 years starting on June 30th on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Behind the Flow, a podcast documentary series following the launch of San Diego Football Club. We go behind the scenes and explore the stories of those involved. San Diego coming to MLS is going to be a game changer because this region has been hungry for a men's professional soccer team. We need veteran players and we need young players.

Like you're building a team from scratch and so the succession plan of long-term success needs to be defined. We need to embrace this community. When I was 13, my uncle took me to a qualifier. And we watched Paraguay against Chile, pouring rain. Just watching the fans jumping up and down. I think that was definitely a watershed moment for me. Not only was that going to be my game. Not only was that gonna be my game, but it was gonna be my life.

Listen to San Diego FC Behind the Flow. Now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Different font, I like to say. We all live in the same life, different font. So I'm like, everybody going through something, so I wanna connect with everybody. I want to see if my words are so powerful that I could connect with people that's not

from my background and they could feel what I'm saying. And that's what I did on America's Got Talent. Went on there, told my story, wrote a song called Guns Down in honor of my father. And then the high school shooting at that time had happened in Florida. So it was like, I wrote that and man, like they connected and Simon Cowell came to the back of the stage and was like, yes. He's like, one day you're gonna be a superstar.

It's on video, go get it. And he said, one day you're gonna be a superstar. You don't know what that did for my confidence. I walked around, I walked around everything, I'm like, yo, I'm a star. Yeah, you went back and said, y'all heard what Simon said? Y'all heard what Simon said, Simon said. Yes, Simon what Simon said? Y'all heard what Simon said. Simon said.

Yes, Simon. You know the game. That's what Simon said. Simon said. No, literally. But when he said that, it was over with, like, confidence. Because I didn't think I had it in music, because America's Got Talent called me after the rap game.

You know what I'm saying? That's why I be like, when you take your L, you got to learn the lesson. The lesson from the rap game was to get ready for America's Got Talent. Because when I lost the rap game, to get ready for America's Got Talent. Because when I lost the rap game, I was so hurt. I went up to my room, I was writing. I didn't even leave my room for about a month or two. I was just writing.

I'm upstairs writing in my book all day, then America's Got Talent call. And I was prepared because I took that L, so I was ready. You know what I'm saying? And man, but my life changed after that on America's Got Talent for sure. You mentioned that when it wasn't your time in the rap game, you lost that. You said, I just, I took my L. But how were you, I mean, you're so young.

And that's the hardest part is dealing with disappointment. Because we want what we want when we want it and we cannot see past that moment. But you were mature enough to understand this isn't the end this is only the beginning. Yes that's why I knew I was different you know I'm saying I ain't know what it was but I knew I was different because some folks were crumbling was like okay I'm just chillin and music but it made me mad like you know I'm saying it made me mad like I was mad at JD. You became even more driven.

What? Yes I was mad at Jermaine Dupree. You ain't gon' pick me. You know what I'm saying? But now that I look back, I'm like, you made the right decision. But I'm like, bro, you ain't gon' pick me. You know who I like. It took me there, so it's how you use that adversity, though.

You know, my dad always say, you know, take the dis off of disadvantage, you know what I'm saying? Right. And you can really see your future. And I just knew I was going to be big. I didn't know how, I didn't know why. But I was like, if I go on this stage on America's Got Talent and rap to these people

and they feel me, anybody can feel me. You know what I'm saying? And you started crying. Yeah. What was it about that performance that connected you with you and touched you so much that the emotions spilled out? It touched me so much because I was,

every day I was watching America's Got Talent videos just trying to make myself cry. I don't know why I used to just love to watch the golden buzzers and the stories you know what I'm saying I don't know why and when I seen that confetti falling and it was just like a realization of like why your dreams can come true you know what I'm saying like your dreams can come true if you stay prepared, persevere, poor preparation, poor performance, stay prepared, and you make it happen.

It was just, it was too much for me. That's why I was crying, but it was really a realization. And then I thought I couldn't get the golden buzzer because I didn't know how to pro-prosecure. I had judge cuts, and a new judge came because they gave all their golden buzzers away before I performed my first song. See what I'm saying? So I'm going to the next round. I'm like, brother. I got I ain't got no golden So when he hit that I was like, oh this a miracle

I was like, oh my gosh, and this I knew like I could do music your dad If I'm not mistaken, I'm I don't know your dad personally, but obviously I went to school in Savannah, I spent time in Savannah, so I know who he is. And if I'm not mistaken, he died before you were born. Even though you did not have a personal, physical connection with him, how did it impact you growing up? Oh, it hurt me, I ain't gonna lie.

Because so many people knew your dad, your dad was a thing in Savannah. What? And it sucked being reminded of that. Everybody got a story. Man, you look good like your dad. That is broken, everybody got a story and it just hurt because it was like,

I never could make no stories with him. You know what I'm saying? Y'all telling me stories, he was the coolest cat. He just like you, y'all just alike. And it's just like, what I'ma do with that? You know what I'm saying? So I was angry when I was a kid, I was, woo, I was bad.

And I was angry and I was trying to figure out why I was so angry because I didn't think it was because I was missing my father because that was the only thing I knew. That was my normal. So I didn't think it would hurt me, but as I got older, I started seeing like, okay. Kids bringing the kids, their dad going to the game, watching them.

Their dad at the game, their dad training them. They and my friends telling me, my dad making me mad, he making me go to practice. I'm like, now I wish I could. Have a dad to make me mad. That's what I'm saying in my head, I wish my dad would make me mad. You know what I'm saying? Yes. But I'm making myself go.

Every single day I'm walking myself to the gym. Like, I don't have nobody, so that was irritating. I'm not myself go. Every single day I'm walking myself to the gym. I don't have nobody. So that was irritating. I'm not going to lie. I understand the trauma coming from it. I just feel like if my dad was here, I wouldn't have had to go through so many situations. Right. Hold on. I also read that at the time, because like I said, I knew he was holding a child when

he got shot. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Let me tell you, so this is how the people describe it. Nobody was really there. You know, he was at the studio, you know, and then people rolled up.

Broad daylight, he had the kid in his hand. And they shot him. Killed him in broad daylight with the kid in his hand. And he with the kid in his hand. And he thought the kid was his at the time, but they ended up getting the blood work and stuff. And then they tested it wasn't.

It wasn't his kid, but that's like evil. You know what I'm saying? With the child in his hand. With the kid, the kid don't have nothing to do. That's when I was like, whoa. And that really hurt me to my core, because it's like, bro, I was one decision away from my life being different. That's all.

And it, bro, it's just, whew, growing up, it was hard. And then, you know, people knew me, so they used to talk about it, and they used to hurt me with it, and I used to crash out. And, bro, but it was hard to go through, and I couldn't understand. You don't, if you don't have that,

it started to play tricks with your mind, because it'd be like, how do I miss something I never had? So it's different. Does it bother you that the case remains unsolved? That after all these years? No, it don't bother me. It don't really bother me, because what's going to happen is going to happen. As you sit here and do this interview,

you're the exact same age as your father was. That's crazy, yeah. When he lost his life. Yeah. Do you think, think about it. Yeah. How much you've done at the same age and he can go no further and you just have so much,

if the Lord's willing. Yeah, it got. To go with so much further. And that's crazy, brother, cause I don't even think like that. All the accolades that you said before my name, and that's just off basketball, you know what I'm saying? Just think about that. And I'm only 21, and my dad, I think

he just would have loved to see it. I ain't gonna lie, no crazy stuff. My dad came to me in a dream one time. Did he? Yeah. And it was crazy, bro. And now I to me in a dream one time. Did he? Yeah. It was crazy, bro. Now I remember it was Vivian.

I was unfocused. I was thinking about giving up. Because there was so much going on. I think this was college. Probably my sophomore. I'm going through it. I'm not sticking to my routine. I'm just falling out the mouth.

I just had a crazy dream. I heard his voice, seen his face. It was like, hey, lock in. kind of on that tip like get it together like you know saying get it together and it was just a check for me like I don't know like it for me it's just like you know you you you see certain things you see a certain number you'd be like oh yeah you watching over me but I feel like that time it was like it was something I couldn't go into if your dad was sitting here now yeah his baby, all that she's done, the basketball, college

are All-American, SEC Freshman of the Year, all SEC, national champion, she's going to go play in the WNBA. What do you think your dad would say to you? How proud of you would he be? My mama don't know how to act, so. Oh mama, bruh. She make me feel like Beyonce. My mama don't know how to act. So, oh mama, bruh. She make me feel like Beyoncé.

So I know he would just be off the wall. And my stepdad, he's insane too. Like, oh, my stepdad, he's jumping for joy. But I just wish I could have took him more out of Savannah. You know, he probably would have been a big star or whatever. But you know, just to see the things and the places that basketball has taken me and my family, me and my mama, you know, bro,

I just think he'll be proud the way I'm taking care of my mom and my family and putting myself in a position to be more than just basketball, more than just music, pouring into the community, because he loved the kids and I loved the kids and just giving back. I think he'll be proud of me, so I do it his honor. Right because you see you see like Jason Tatum and his mom and his son. I love it. You see that early on in the beginning you saw a

lot of LeBron and Glo, his mom but to see that like so like man because I have the same thing my dad died at a very young age and he did not get an opportunity to see my brother and I accomplish what we accomplish, although not physically. I mean, we know the spiritually he's watching. But to be able to have my dad in the locker room or to have him in the stands and say, like, my boys and in what, three weeks, my brother's going to join me in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I can just imagine my grandfather and my father actually seeing that, actually witnessing what we've become. And for your day of camouflage to actually see his girl from this big to go to

here and to go and become an All-American in high school and McDonald's All-American and win the MVP at Brand Jordan and go to LSU and be freshman of the year in the Southeastern Conference and win a national championship. Man. Yeah. Oh, he be doing, oh you know a song, you know he put that in a song. Yeah, da da da, da da da da da. Nah, he would have been proud, but it don't seem real sometimes. Right. Every year your mom throws a birthday party for your dad,

and at eight years old, you perform. Yeah. That was crazy. Let me tell you, my mom used to do these parties, right, and I used to hate when she used to do them, because she used to go to the club, I thought the club was crazy. Let me tell you, my mom used to do these parties, right? And I used to hate when she used to do them, because she used to go to the club. I thought the club was bad. I don't know, when I was young, I'm like,

please don't go to the club, mama. But you know, she, I was, but I figured out these parties. I'm like, mom, let me perform. Like, let me rap. And my uncle's like, yeah, let her rap. Dominique, he's like, let her rap, let her rap. She's like, no, you're not going to be a rapper, because you know, she feel like rap bad,

because my dad. Yeah, what happened with your dad, yeah. I'm like, mom, please just let me rap. She's like, no, you're not gonna be a rapper, because she feel like rap bad, because my dad. Yeah, what happened with your dad? I'm like, mom, please just let me rap. She's like, you ain't, you're not going in the club. Go read some books. So me and my uncle, my uncle started writing me raps, and I started going to the studio to record them. I'm like, mom, look, I got songs.

Like, you know what I'm saying? And I'm like, literally seven years old. I'm like, mom, you gonna let me rap? She's like, all right, bro, come on. So my mom said, if you're gonna do it, we gonna do it. She had me in the camouflage pants, Georgia puffer vest, was went to sleep at the club, woke up out of my sleep, performed and then left.

And that was the first performance I ever did. She posted on YouTube and people were like, do you do bookings? Like, so I was booking in Savannah doing birthday parties and stuff. And then I ended up going on tour with like mindless behavior and. Dang.

So you've been making bread for a minute now. We've been moving. Now that was the startup day. So I wouldn't say we was making no bread. Spending more, losing more, but it was just the experience and opportunity and what we were trying to build. Do you remember the song that you performed? What? Yeah.

I had Seaport Jig. I had Swag. Oh, what did I have? I had, yeah, it was Seaport, Jig, and Swag. That was the best one. How often do you find yourself, how often do you listen to some of his music? Ooh, all the time. Like, if I'm before a big game or something,

like if I need my dad energy, like I'm gonna turn that music on. And I like the pain stuff. Like, no love, heaven not too far. Like, I like the pain, you know what I'm saying? I like that I Represent album. I listen to it a lot. I probably don't stream it more than anybody in the world.

I used to go to sleep to it. Really? Yeah. But is it true that your dad knew, I don't know if you've heard this, maybe your mom has related to you, that he knew Lil Boosie, he knew Birdman, knew Jeezy? Yeah, no. Literally, my mom told me that all of those rappers like really respected him like TI Rick Ross cuz they was all coming up at the same time then my dad just end up dying right but Boosie he was the one that just he came and looked after me like really yeah

like if I ever needed anything like Big like my mom never asked him for nothing if I needed it He was like I can't my mama said I can't do it Boosie had come through and he always kept it a thousand like I used to go up to his mansion and like see his, play with his kids, like me and Ivy we close to this day. And it was just crazy to me because I never had a father figure, you know what I'm saying?

And so just to see this man in his big old mansion, he got all his kids, we just eating popsicles all day. At the pool, we can play basketball, we can do whatever. I was like, wow. Boosie really showed me like, like black, like, you know what I'm saying? Like he building his own house and excellence. I was like wow, but boost really showed me like like Black like you know I'm saying like he built his own house and excellent I was okay, but I was that was it like and then I as I meet these artists like TI and all of them They like bro. We loved your day. We respect that your dad and stuff like that, so that'd be cool

What do people get wrong about Boosie? Okay I can't defend him all the time, because, like, he be saying some awesome, awesome. I be like, that's my uncle, man. You know what I'm saying? That's my uncle, man. I don't know what it... But what they don't know is that man got a heart of gold. Wow. Boosie got a heart of gold.

Like, he'd give you his shirt off his back, like, heart of gold. And I seen that just off the strength of what he did for me. Boosie said in his song, I met him one week, the next week he died I almost cried. He said, I don't want to be like, camouflage, I met him one week, the next week he died I almost cried. And then, you ain't knew my dad for two weeks, you know what I'm saying? You came and you showed me love and took care of me like I was your child when I was in your presence. So he always had my respect, but he is little off the wall

Dying I just see him jump on the day cuz they closed the water slide. He jumped on the water slide No, raff or nothing like he gonna live his life to the fullest. That's my dog But how long when this year was a couple years ago that South Carolina got they beat you guys and they played your dad's song after the victory? Yeah. They got you teed off, didn't they? Oh, I was so upset, bro. You all the swing on somebody? What, bro?

I wanna cry, bro. I was so mad in the stadium. First of all, we had already lost. I was mad, this was fourth quarter. We already lost. And then I was really looking on the bench. I was looking, I was in that mall. I was looking for the DJ booth.

Where's the DJ booth? What you gon' go? I was on that, you know what I'm saying? I was upset, I was in that mall, I was looking for the DJ booth, like where's the DJ booth? I was on that, like you know what I'm saying? I was upset about that. And then the next day I ended up seeing her like trolling it on social media. And so I was like, okay, I felt you was trying to be weird, but now I knew you was trying to be funny.

Like, you know what I'm saying? Did they apologize? I think she ended up apologizing. I don't really know, I kind of lifted at that, but that was a mess. Like, you don't do nothing like that. Like, you know my dad there, you know he a big rapper, you trying to troll me in an arena full of 15,000 people for what?

But that was weird. That whole situation weird. Why do you pick LSU? Because at the time you picked LSU, they had some good players. 25 years, 25 players. Before training camp kickstarts a new NFL season, NFL Daily is going to look back. It is a special six episode series where myself,

Greg Rosenthal and some of the top NFL minds like Kevin Harlan, Mina Kimes and Bill Barnwell make the case for each player. We're taking a look back, giving you NFL Daily's top 25 players of the last 25 years. So who made the list? You know, Tom Brady's on it. Where's Patrick Mahomes? Mahomes is under the end zone! Touchdown Kansas City!

He's on it. How about Lamar Jackson? Jackson takes it himself. Look at him dart back and forth. Oh, he broke his ankles and he's got a touchdown. He is Houdini. You are going to have to listen to find out, listen to NFL Daily's top 25 players of the last 25 years starting on June 30th on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Behind the Flow, a podcast documentary series following the launch of San Diego Football Club.

We go behind the scenes and explore the stories of those involved. San Diego coming to MLS is going to be a game changer because this region has been hungry for a men's professional soccer team. We need veteran players and we need young players. Like, you're building a team from scratch and so the succession plan of long-term success needs to be defined. We need to embrace this community. When I was 13, my uncle took me to a qualifier, and we watched Paraguay against Chile, pouring rain, just watching the fans jumping up and down.

I think that was definitely a watershed moment for me. Not only was that going to be my game. Not only was that gonna be my game, but it was gonna be my life. Listen to San Diego FC Behind the Flow. Now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Players, they had what, Simone Augustus with there, I think Sylvia Files with there.

So they had some names, but they weren't on the national championship. They weren't on the map. Since those Simone Augustus and Sylvia Files. So they weren't like South Carolina on the come. They weren't like UCONN. They weren't Notre Dame or Stanford or some of these other prominent programs. Why LSU? Well, I'll just say because Coach Mokie really believed in my want to do both aspirations and I felt LSU brand was big enough to catapult me to that level. I knew that you could go over to France and somebody in France could be like, LSU. You know what I'm saying?

So I was like, I want to be around a recognizable brand but also Coach Mokie was so gangster and let it out. Like you could rap, you could go to the moon and log you back at 1.30 for practice. What you do? So I say, I can work with this lady right here. This white lady got some swag, you know what I'm saying? And you know, she's just been my doll, we've been like them, but she really told me

like you could do both. She ain't dim my light. And it's crazy, because Coach Moak, she a business woman, but she didn't dim my light, and she was like, if you gonna play basketball, you gonna give me everything you got, but you gonna do music, you do it. And she loved my music, you know what I'm saying? She be telling everybody, light and she was like, if you gonna play basketball, you gonna give me everything you got, but you gonna do music, you do it. She loved my music, you know what I'm saying?

She be telling everybody, but she just respected us, so it was perfect, especially with NIL. Right, but she tough. She tough. She tough. She tough. She tough. Boy, she tough.

And she played the position, she played the guard, she was on the lady teams, the La Tech. Let me tell you why Mokie tough. Because she don't play mind games with you. Some coaches, they want to play mind game and prove points. Coach Mokie ain't going to prove no point. She going to tell you when you're wrong. She going to chew you out.

And then she going to be like, you ready to ball? And so you got to take that, eat that, and be ready to perform. Because she don't take stuff personal. She just want to win. So that's what it's like. Boy, it's hard playing on her, but I think she took me to another level, though. What are some of the other schools

that you could have gone to? I always shout out Coach Yo at Ole Miss. That's my dog. She was one of the first people to ever offer me, ever. D1, I think, for sure. And then Don Staley, of course. You ain't going to get Lady Gamecocks? Huh?

The Lady Gamecocks been nice. When? Like, oh, when I was getting recruited? Yeah. Yeah, they had Asia Wilson and everything, bro. Yes. You didn't want to play with Asia? That wasn't my fit.

You know what I'm saying? Like, that wasn't my fit. That wasn't my fit. My dream school was Georgia. Georgia ain't your thing? Bro, they was playing with me doing recruitment. Come on. They did me bad. They was playing with me doing recruitment. Come on. They did me bad.

They ain't recruit me for real. And I wanted to go there too. But I landed where I was supposed to be. Yeah, for sure. Thanks. Ended up winning the national championship. What was that experience like? Man, that was the craziest experience.

This is like you're the best in the world. Yes. You know what I'm saying? Like everything that you did from October to now that I'm paid off, you was able to be mentally locked in for those long months, that long period of time. And then when it got to crush time, you just elevated your level of play.

That's different. And so it just felt beautiful. All the things that came with it, all the NIL opportunities, but all the opportunities of people to watch women basketball and the game grow. It's like, bro, people don't know we have mountains of little girls now that want to play basketball at an elite level. They do.

You know what I'm saying? Like women's sports is on the rise and you know, I was just happy and grateful to be a part of that. Yeah. Yeah. Is it true that your teammates didn't want to play with you in the open gym because you was talking trash? Yeah. How you go just step on campus and just start talking rap? I learned my lesson, bro. They literally stopped doing the runs. They was like, Flo, we don't want to play with you. I was talking crazy, though.

I was coming out on that, oh, marking for no reason. I will say, now that I look back, if a freshman came in, I'd be like, bro, what's up with her? And they didn't want to play with me no more. And so I was like, why nobody want to do runs no more folks don't want to get better they had me in a little circle or whatever. They was like yeah you know we just want to talk to you. You know certain players like I could play but they don't want to they don't talk like that you know I'm saying you got to chill. I was like but if y'all

had a problem y'all could have just told me on the fly and I would have shut up like you know what I'm saying but this how I play, this how we pop it. But yeah, they didn't want to play with me. They didn't want to play with me. I was a bad little freshman. But you, so how did that, how did, because your teammate, did you and Angel came in together when she a year older? She, I was a freshman, she was a sophomore.

She transferred in. Yeah, I think she was a junior or a sophomore. So she transferred in. And y'all, she was a part of that. So how did you guys make each other better? She was a junior or a sophomore, so she transferred. And y'all, you know, she was a part of that. So how do you guys make each other better? She was a big part of it. Well, I just think, like, she's just like a dog. Like, when you play with somebody like that,

that make that game easier. And you don't, like, bro, like 20 rebounds a night, that's crazy. So it was that whole team, like you had Angel, then you had Jasmine. You had the shooter, like, on the team, and she lit it up in the championship game. Then you had Angel, then you had Jasmine, you had the shooter like on the team and she lit it up in the championship game, then you had LaDajah Williams and she was like playing with Angel but like they quiet so she knew her role, she'd have a big game

if you needed to, you had the point guard, insane but like a really good point guard and so like you know like we had a great team and I was a freshman so I was able to learn from everybody but like they were doing with some dogs like and I had to keep up with them Dawgs. Yeah. Yeah for sure That game it was the most national championship game between LSU and Iowa. Yeah was at that point in time It was the most watched Women's college basketball game in history. Yeah a little tick under 10 billion The rematch, y'all came back and did 12.3. Obviously, Kaitlyn Clark, she's national player of the year,

she has unlimited range. I mean, the US defense system don't have range, have this to have range like where she can shoot the ball from. You understood this, Simon, you know eyeballs are gonna be watching. You know this. You know losing was not gonna be an option in this game.

So what's going through Flau'jae's mind? This is a national championship, a moment that you dreamed and waited a lifetime for. I'm like, we finna hoop. I knew they're a national championship game. I'm like, Caitlyn not finna beat us. You know what I'm saying? She ain't like, no I'm not her.

I mean, Caitlyn could beat us. Her other teammates ain't finna beat us right like you know you're saying you get yours Caitlin but that y'all other fo y'all didn't get nothing Caitlin go for 50 like you know I'm saying that was like the mindset but we gotta like you know I'm saying play these other cuz she make her teammates better right it was it was bro yes yes so how was it because you? Because the build up, I mean, look, there have been some great, great women college players. And I molded up to remember them all.

Right. They go way, way back. Way back. But when La Tech won it, won back to back, they beat Cheney State. You seen that? Yes. That's what Coach Mokie played? Yes.

Damn, you are old. Yes, I remember that. You watched Coach Mokie play? Yes, yes. And I watched USC beat Coach Monkey now. And I watched Clarissa Davis and them Texas teams go 45-0 and beat them. And all the way on. So there have been some great women's college basketball players.

And maybe not because we're in the social media era, but nobody's had the hype like Caitlin. Yeah. And Maya Moore was tremendous. Candace Parker, a tremendous. I'm old enough to remember Cheryl Swoop dropped 48 in the championship game. Cheryl Swoop? Dropped 48 in the championship game.

And I remember her saying, I'm going to beat them. I'm going to beat them. I'm going to beat them. I'm going to beat them. I'm going to beat them. I'm going to beat them. I'm going to beat them. I'm going to beat them.

I'm going to beat them. I'm going to beat them. I'm going to beat them. I'm Moore was tremendous. Am I old? Candace Parker, tremendous. I'm old enough to remember Cheryl Swoop dropped 48 in the championship game against Ohio State and Katie Smith. Like that. Yes. But, so you've heard this all year long, Kaitlyn, Kaitlyn, Kaitlyn. Yes.

And she was letting it go now. In the tournament, she was letting it go fly, I ain't gonna hold you on that one now. She was putting it to work. That's what she do. But you like, damn man, we can't lose. Nah, and bro, bro, we had some dogs. Like that team was so loaded.

It didn't matter if one person had a bad game. It was somebody coming to pick them up. Yeah. And so it was just perfect. Like it's a lot of like Caitlin really did like she was a talker that that whole tournament they wanted that storybook ending. Yeah. We came and did that though. Yeah, yeah. Like it's gonna be an ending. Yeah, yeah, they counted us out for sure. But you know at LSU we came out on top. Right.

But now just the influence of women's basketball like bruh it's crazy right now. It's insane like you say Maire Moorera Moore, you got Stewie, not Stewie, you got Sue Bird and all. How they work? Yeah, Tarasi. I just be like, it wasn't the time. It wasn't the time yet, and now it's the time, so now we just gotta keep pushing and keep on. Does Katelyn talk trash?

You know, when we play, I ain't hear too much. Maybe she be talking to herself, but I ain't hear too much. But she been talking, and you watch on TV now. And the WNBA? She in the grills, Flage! Bro, it's getting lit. I be seeing them little memes like the Sophie and all of that. I ain't really knew what was going on, but they getting active.

I got to get my weight up. I been in the weight room. Oh, have you? What? They ain't finna be tossing me around. Oh no, I love that. Let me ask you this. Do you think women that's in the WNBA, do you think they hate Kaitlyn? No, but I think it's competitive and I think everybody always wants to knock the top dog off. And I don't know, I think like it's kind of, what, because how was, I mean, how was, how was like,

I feel like, how was LeBron, like, when he came into the league, what was the energy around him in the league? I don't remember, look, it was, hell, it was more from his own teammate, they didn't think he would, was they gonna be that good, or could they elevate them? But I think the thing is, is that the eyeballs that she's brought is like and and when you say somebody's brought eyeballs that doesn't diminish what Maya Moore or Kandace Parker or some of the other greats have done but like you said

maybe it wasn't the time for people to galvanize behind for whatever reason. It's so stupid. I don't understand it because it's like, either way they watching. Yes. That what I'm trying to say. It's going to help everybody else. I don't know, maybe that's my mindset. And I have to address this right now because everybody try to put two people against each other.

You know what I'm saying? Yes. And they try to put me in the middle of it. You know what I'm saying? I don't got nothing to do with that. You know what I'm saying? You could be like, this a thing like, you can be friends with people that you play against or that you don't like. We are all like, you know what I'm saying? Like, you could be like, this is the thing, like, you can be friends with people that you play against

or that you don't like. We are all, you know what I'm saying? So, but it's weird, like, in the WNB right now, because you can't be a fan of somebody and like somebody. You know what I'm saying? You gotta choose one or the other. Yeah. If I like Caitlyn, I gotta hate Angel.

Yeah, I think that's so stupid. If I like Angel, I gotta hate Caitlyn. Hate Caitlyn, I think that's so stupid. You gotta appreciate both greats. They're both's so stupid. I don't know, bro. You gotta appreciate both greatness. They're both breaking records. Katelyn ain't having the best season this year, but they're both breaking records. They both all-stars.

So I hate being in the mix of that, because I really like both of them. I respect Katelyn Clark, love Angel, we went and added together. But I had to say that, because, bro, it's like you can't be a fan of one if you gotta hate the other. Right, no, they want you to pick a pick a celebration I just love greatness bro now it seems to all started from I think when Iowa they were beating Louisville or they beat Louisville, and she did this You can't see you can't see

See if you had to put that work in you can't see this Okay, come to the national championship game. They down by 20 and you're like you can't see this. Okay, come to the national championship game, they down by 20, and you're like, you can't see this. And it took off. I mean, it was the same gesture. It was the exact same gesture that Katelyn had done two nights earlier. And then when Angel did it, all hell broke loose. Yeah, but man, when she did it, bing, bing, bong.

That is when women's sports went like, oh my gosh. And maybe that's what we needed. Maybe we need to. Maybe we, like, the NBA didn't really take off until Bird and Magic. I don't care how it had to get done, it got done. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?

You got to, like, that is finna be marked that history. And when people watch that, I mean, money. People watch that. Money, acts, and we get into that break. Yeah. That's finna be marked in history. And when people watch that, I mean, money. People watch that, money, ads, and we get into that break. Yeah. That's all I think about. That's why they wanna try to do all that

and put all those things on the blog. It's more eyeballs for the WNBA. In that moment when she did all this, can't see you now. It's up. Right. 2K26 cover, Angel Reese. You know that calls him. You know that calls him. People are like, hold on. How she get on the cover and not... I'm like, damn.

Why she can't be on the cover? Bro. She's on the cover. She's killing right now. Yes. I guess then somebody tweeted and they, and I think this is where RG three-stepped in and had what say, you got something to say about him, don't you? I didn't see it, but I keep seeing it. I seen Joe Budden say something.

See, I don't be on Twitter like that no more because I had a little. It makes you blood boil when you be talking crazy, huh? I don't like that, because I feel like it ain't no room for that, you know what I'm saying? At the end of the day, we is doing something that nobody else is doing.

Coming out of college, rich, right, from NIL or whatever, then building a platform for yourself to where now, boom, you get deals here, here, here, here. Yeah, because the more money come in, that means there's more money in the pot for everybody to grab from. That's the end goal. You know how many 2K covers it's finna be? Like, you know what I'm saying? It don't matter, bro. As long as you get to the win, bro. And I think that's what people forget. And that goal, again, pitting women against each other.

Trying to create a narrative that's not even there. Wow, okay. Let me ask you this. How did it feel that you didn't win BET Sportswoman of the Year? You get upset? Nah, cause that didn't mean you gotta keep working. But you want one of them, you want to get that thing one time. Yeah, but that ain't my goal, you know what I'm saying? I'd be happy to go to the BET Awards. I'm a young girl from Savannah, I used to watch it on my TV every time.

So I'm there, I'm on the carpet, I'm meeting my idols, I'm talking to people, I'm in rooms. So it'd be cool to get nominated, but I feel like I'd be more mad about, if I was nominated for music stuff, then that's when I'm, you know what I'm saying? But you know, you just- You're gonna crash out of this.

Not gonna crash out. You just gotta work harder, but that's when I'd be more upset about it. Because some people like Carissa Shields, she got upset because Angel run it for third year in a row. She's like, I thought accolades matter. Bro, like, bro, she, dog. Because normally, you know, because normally what happens is like, like all these awards, like the Oscars, the Grammys, the Tony's,

like everybody like it's just such a huge honor to be nominated even though I didn't win. Congratulations. You know they lying. Because when you get nominated, bro, you like. Oh, you be like, I'm going to win. Yeah. I don't ever think like that no more. I don't have too many L's. I always prepare for the worst.

I ain't going to lie. I would be surprised if I hit. You know what I'm saying? I prepare for the worst every time. But you get your hopes up like that, it's bad. You get into crashing out, you probably really thought you were supposed to win. But you know what, Flage, but you get your hopes up like that, it's bad. You get in a crash and now she probably really thought she was supposed to win. But you know what, Flage, but when you go there,

I remember sitting there, and me and Jordan, I'm sitting there and I'm thinking, I'm like, man, I could really, BT, I could really win Entertainment of the Year. Yeah, yeah. I'm like, I mean, the NAACP Image Award, that's what it was. I was like, I could really win. Yeah. And I was like, they got the overload, they like yeah.

I'm like I got my speech ready, my mind blotchy, I got my speech ready. They said Kiki Palmer. Ah you had to hit that one. I'm like yeah. You better go now. As a matter of fact she was right across the alpha but I had already won an award.

I had won podcast at East, so I was good. I mean, I didn't leave you up to handy. I was like Denzel, I'm leaving with something. I'm leaving with something. That's why I'm tripping. Even Des was like, you know, do you have a speech ready? I'm like, I'm gonna thank God, then my mom, and I'm gonna go from there.

I am not doing all of that, no, not getting my hopes high. This concludes the first half of my conversation. Part two is also posted posted and you can access it to whichever podcast platform you just listened to part one on. Just simply go back to club Shae Shae profile and I'll see you there. Check out Behind the Flow, a podcast documentary series following the launch of San Diego Football Club.

San Diego coming to MLS is going to be a game changer because this region has been hungry for a men's professional soccer team. We need to embrace this community. Listen to San Diego FC behind the flow on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Who are the 25 greatest football players to grace the gridiron since the year 2000? Introducing NFL Daily's top 25 players of the last 25 years. Join me, Greg Rosenthal and an all-star cast of media personalities, including Mina Keim,

Steve Weisch, Kevin Harlan and more for a look at football's best since the turn of the century. Listen to NFL Daily's top 25 players of the last 25 years starting on June 30th on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart Podcast.