Rapper Toosii hints at major career shift with surprise new commitment

Syracuse-born artist Nau’Jour Grainger, widely known as Toosii, has announced that he will play college football under Syracuse head coach Fran Brown.

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The 25-year-old shared the news on social media on Monday, posting photos from an earlier recruiting visit and telling fans he felt the move was “a sign from God”. Grainger, who has 4.5 million Instagram followers, wrote that he was “coming home”, marking a return to the city where he was born and lived until the age of 12.

Grainger rose to mainstream success with his double-platinum 2023 hit Favourite Song, but is stepping back from music to pursue his aim of playing Division I football. After moving to North Carolina as a teenager, he competed in high school football and has recently been training at North Carolina State’s facilities to prepare for the transition.

In an August post on X, he said he was “chasing history” and hoped to become the first multi-platinum recording artist to return to school and play Division I football. Days after that post, he visited the University of Maryland for a gameday appearance during its match against Florida Atlantic.

Grainger’s commitment adds an unexpected twist to his career, as he looks to balance his musical success with a return to competitive sport.

Aasiya Nazir