The third annual Cactus Jack Foundation HBCU Celebrity Classic took place on Feb. 13. The event took place at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. The Foundation’s purpose is to “empower and enrich the lives of youth by providing access to education and creative resources to ensure long term success” according to their website. Rapper Travis Scott created the foundation in Nov. 2020.
The proceeds of the event were used to benefit the Cactus Jack Foundation, the Waymon Webster Scholarship Fund, and Project H.E.AL initiative. These programs help students who attend HBCUs who need financial help in order to graduate on time.
The Softball Classic included a home run derby and a softball game. Prior to the softball classic was the Cactus Jack Social Impact Village which had other events to support HBCUs. Those events included a silent auction, and an interactive hub that had community and civic organizations offering resources to those that attended.
There were many rappers, singers, television personalities, athletes, and more at the event. But who were the biggest names there?
Scott participated in the events along with his siblings Jordan and Josh Webster. Travis Scott is known to be a huge Houston Astros fan since he is from Houston and has a love for baseball.
Producer and music executive Metro Boomin took part in the softball classic. Metro has produced tracks with Future, Don Toliver, 21 Savage, and many other artists. Some of his biggest songs are “Ric Flair Drip” by Offset and most recently, “Like That” with Future and Kendrick Lamar.
Singer Tyla also participated in the events. Tyla gained more popularity when her song “Water” went viral on TikTok. Some of her other popular songs are “Truth or Dare” and “Jump.” In 2024, at just 22 years old, Tyla won a Grammy Award for her performance of the song “Water.”
Swae Lee, previously a part of the duo, Rae Sremmurd, is a rapper, singer, and songwriter. He had many hits while in Rae Sremmurd such as “No Type” and “This Could Be Us,” not to mention their hit “Black Beatles” which spearheaded the 2016 trend, the Mannequin Challenge. While doing his solo career, he has been on tracks with Post Malone, French Montana, and so many others.
Another rapper who made an appearance was Sheck Wes, who is signed to Travis Scott’s label and was the opening act for his 2019 tour. Wes rose to fame when his song “Mo Bamba” came out in 2018.
Other celebrities that participated in the event were Bia, Josie Canseco, Rachel Demita, Dess Dior, Mariah the Scientist, Marsai Martin, Ne-Yo, Ozuna, Xandra Pohl, Amber Rose, Scarface, Slim Thug, Teyana Taylor, Syndey Thomas, Trade tha Truth, Paul Wall, and more.
Current and former athletes from different sports took part in the event. Both former and current Major League Baseball players participated in the event such as CC Sabathia, Robinson Canó, Mauricio Dubón, and Jeremy Peña. National Football League players, C.J., Stroud, Damar Hamlin, and former player Andre Johnson were there, along with many more athletes.
Edited by Brittany Snow
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