Frauje Johnson has been in the spotlight since he was 12 years old.
Whether she's on the court as a guard for LSU or in front of the microphone as a rapper for JAY-Z's Roc Nation, the 20-year-old billionaire isn't bothered by the constant glow of the spotlight because she's more than equipped to handle it.
“I think this is the same thing I've been doing since I was 12 years old. [on reality TV show competitions]In a recent interview with The Washington Post, Johnson spoke about how he will navigate the increased attention that will follow the Tigers' 2023 national championship run.
Johnson, the 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year, is entering her junior year in Baton Rouge and is poised to take on a bigger role with coach Kim Mulkey's Tigers following the departures of star forward Angel Reese, who is currently playing her WNBA rookie season with the Chicago Sky, and point guard Hailey Van Lith, who transferred after the 2023-24 season and is now at TCU.
“Yes, the attention will be on me,” she said, “but that's why basketball is a team sport. Like I say, I'm there as a team member. I have to lead the team. I'm the captain.”
“I have to lift them up. So for me, it's like learning to be inclusive. Like they say, good players are good players, but great players help lift people up together. So that's what I want to do and I want to do something special at LSU, so I have to bring my team up.”
Johnson has been in the spotlight for some time.
When I was 12, I listened to Jermaine Dupri's “Rap Game” A reality show focused on finding the next rap star.
Johnson returned to the public's attention two years later. As a contestant on “America's Got Talent” In 2018, at the age of 14, she won the Golden Buzzer, which allows the judges to automatically send a talent to the live shows.
Now, as he builds a legacy that spans sports and entertainment, Johnson envisions adding more championship chapters to his story.
“…I've already won a national championship, but I've got two more years, maybe two more years, and one just isn't enough,” she said.
“I just want to make my impact, leave my mark. I'm doing something that no one has done before, so I wanted to be special.”
LSU was no fluke.
In July 2021, a landmark Supreme Court decision gutted the NCAA's ban on athletes earning compensation.
Johnson and her mother and manager, Kia Brooks, were prepared to explore their options when the time came.
Johnson said he chose LSU because of the school's strong track record. Nils The program works closely with students to make the most of their NIL opportunities and build their brand.
“I think my mom made it easier at LSU. She built her team so we could keep going even though we were busy,” said Johnson, who now has a net worth of $3 million.
“We're like a fast-moving train, and the bigger we get in NIL, the more we feel we need to have our own team. We can't just rely on the school, because they're working with hundreds of athletes and trying to help them.”
“Taylor [Jacobs, LSU Associate AD] They've been really great at helping us out in so many different ways, especially with the music side of things, promotion and that kind of thing, different marketing strategies. They've been really, really supportive.”
Johnson's journey in the name, image and likeness (NIL) field is explored in “The Money Game,” a new six-part Amazon documentary series that chronicles LSU's program for athletes, including star gymnast Olivia Dunn.
As for his academics, all of Johnson's classes are online except for one business course that focuses on entrepreneurship.
Johnson's business thrives thanks to Brooks, who helps her get back on track when she feels overwhelmed.
The docuseries showcases the healthy balance between their work dynamics and their mother-daughter relationship, with the occasional joke thrown in.
“It was difficult. [In the beginning]”I was like, 'Oh my God, I might have to get a different manager so this doesn't affect the mother-daughter relationship,'” Johnson said.
“… We really had to talk it out in order to work together and not let this affect our relationship… We learned how to stay amicable together, and I learned to listen to her because she's usually always right… We set boundaries and it's working out.”
Brooks, also known as “NIL Mamaja,” visited The Washington Post with Johnson and was seen nodding and laughing as she filmed the backstage action on her cell phone camera.
Next Step: WNBA
Johnson, who turns 21 on Nov. 3, said she plans to play in the WNBA.
It's just a matter of when she will enter the draft.
“I plan on choosing to go to the WNBA. I don't know how soon… it depends on how the season goes and stuff like that,” she said.
Johnson was a key part of LSU's championship run as a freshman in 2023 and continued his success in this year's March Madness tournament.
She led the Tigers with 23 points and six rebounds on 10-of-18 field goals in LSU's Elite Eight loss to Iowa in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
As a sophomore, Johnson averaged 14.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.1 steals while shooting 50% from the field and 38% from 3-point range.
Johnson knows the future is bright in the WNBA and said that's a direct result of her well-known rivalry with Reese and former Iowa star Caitlin Clark, who is now with the Indiana Fever.
“But for me, I think it's great to see the WNBA continue to grow, and I think that's because of the impact that our LSU team had,” she said.
“There’s no denying the fact that women’s basketball has boomed since Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and LSU.
“And to be able to be a part of that, and now to be able to go out there and continue to contribute to that growth and be a part of that. I think these are the best women in the world playing basketball. To be able to play with those top women, that's a dream come true.”
Before making the jump to the pros, Johnson will first play as a junior for the Lady Tigers.
LSU's season opener is Nov. 4 at home against Eastern Kentucky.
R&B era
Johnson, a native of Savannah, Georgia, vowed to stay true to herself and not get caught up in the materialism of the “money game.”
“I'm just going to keep the main thing as the main thing,” the “Big 4” rapper said, adding that being a student keeps him humble.
She will sign with Jay-Z's Roc Nation in January 2024. ESPY Awards And then the WNBA All-Star game in July.
A collaboration with Grammy Award-winning rapper Lil Wayne, “He came out like a beast.” He was released in August and signed a contract for his first piece of land in Atlanta that same month.
Following the summer release of his debut studio EP, “Best Of Both Worlds,” Johnson is excited about what's next.
“I'm going into an R&B phase now,” she said, without giving further details.
“People are starting to appreciate my music now. I think the haters want to believe that I can do two things… They're like, 'She's good at both music and basketball?'”
“So sometimes they never listen to my music. But then they listen to it and they're like, 'Wow, this is really good.' [good]', she said.
“And I said, 'I was just trying to tell you all this.'
