South Carolina apologizes for playing song by LSU rival’s dead father at college basketball game
The University of South Carolina has apologized for the ‘disrespectful’ use of a song by late musician Camoflauge during the No. 2 Gamecocks’ 66-56 win over No. 5 LSU during a massive women’s college basketball game.
Camoflauge, born Jason Johnson, is the late father of current LSU star Flau’jae Johnson. He was murdered while walking his toddler son in Savannah six months before Flau’jae was born in 2003.
DJ T.O., who performs during Gamecocks games at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, played Camoflauge’s song, ‘Cut Friends,’ late in the fourth quarter of the pivotal SEC matchup. As a result, South Carolina has suspended DJ T.O. for the Gamecocks’ next home game.
‘Her actions were understandably upsetting to Flau’Jae Johnson and her family and disrespectful to the LSU program and fans,’ South Carolina said in a statement about DJ T.O. ‘Conference rivalries and passionate fan bases should only serve to enhance sports, not be used to target individual players personally. We regret that it came to that in our venue after a game that saw both teams capture the level of national attention that women’s basketball has earned.’
Johnson’s pain over the situated was exacerbated after Friday’s game when she came across a flippant remark about the incident on Instagram.
After one commenter wrote ‘playing camouflage (sic) at the end of the game was crazy,’ the DJ T.O. responded with a snickering emoji and the sarcastic reply: ‘my bad.’
Head coach Kim Mulkey of the LSU Lady Tigers talks to Flau’Jae Johnson on Friday
USC’s MiLaysia Fulwiley passes the ball while guarded by Flau’Jae Johnson of LSU
Rapper Camoflauge (Jason Johnson) arrives at the release party for his album ‘Keepin’ It Real’ on August 31, 2002 in Savannah. Camoflauge is the late father of LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson
Johnson captured the exchange in a screen grab and shared it on X.
‘I’ll take my L on the chin, but this just nasty behavior,’ Johnson wrote. ‘Nun funny bout that.’
Later, when an X user complained of the ‘classless unsportsmanlike s***’ Johnson responded by calling DJ T.O.’s decision ‘lame.’
DJ T.O. struck a different tone while apologizing on X later.
‘I apologize for playing Cut Friends Instrumental at the game yesterday,’ she wrote. ‘It is never my intent to disrespect anyone or offend anyone when my job is to have fun and make sure other people have a good time. I’m from the Lowcountry/C-Port area so I’ve been playing it for years, even… at other games, but I shouldn’t have played it at yesterday’s game. I play it on every radio station I’ve ever done from NC, GA, & SC & grew up on Camoflauge so it’s never played with ill intent or as a joke. I can’t control how anyone takes it but I can take responsibility &… apologize.’
Friday’s loss was LSU’s first of the season. Johnson struggled during the game, scoring just 13 points after averaging nearly 20 per game for the season. The Tigers have since responded with a 64-51 pounding of Texas A&M and now head into another key matchup with Oklahoma on Thursday.
Camouflage had a prolific stretch from 1999 through 2002, releasing four albums and several mix tapes, much of which was well received.
Flau’jae has followed in her father’s footsteps as a rapper and is currently signed to Roc Nation. She’s even appeared on America’s Got Talent.
