This spring, rapper and avid basketball fan Lil Durk is teaming up with PepsiCo's new lemon-lime soda Starry to deliver scholarships to HBCU students. The company is bringing the Starry Fizz Fest to four HBCUs and is providing a multitude of opportunities for students at Norfolk State, Hampton, Jackson State, and Morgan State. Starry is giving more than $330,000 in total scholarship and prize funds to the winners of various competitions. Certain lucky students can also win an NIL deal with Starry as a brand ambassador, along with rapper Ice Spice and NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“Our mission with Starry Fizz Fest is to bring the excitement to basketball fans that the brand is known for while rewarding HBCU students for their passion, amplifying their talent, and offering opportunities that positively impact these universities, their students, and their communities,” said PepsiCo Senior Vice President of Industry Relations and Multicultural Development Kent Montgomery.

At each campus, one student will receive a $20,000 scholarship for their education, which they can apply for online. For the non-student-athlete NIL deal, one of the first of its kind, the winner gets an all-expenses paid trip to the Kia NBA Tip-Off at the start of the 2024-25 season. They will also be a promotional figure for the Starry Fizz Fest 2.0.

“Being competitive doesn't just apply to sport, life itself is about hunger, drive, and teamwork,” Lil Durk said in the press release. “This initiative is about rewarding students for their grind on an off the court, showing love and supporting our people while chasing their dreams.”

Starry teamed up with Lil Durk likely because of his well-known basketball ability. A couple years ago, LeBron James shouted out the Chicago rapper on his show, The Shop.

“Lil Durk,” James said in response to who he believes is the best basketball player among rappers. “Lil Durk can hoop. He actually played ball… Lil Durk can hoop for real. He got a cannon too.”

Gunna, another rapper and a guest on The Shop, agreed with James' evaluation.

“I played him one time, he can play,” he said.

As the official soft drink of the NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League, the events at the Starr Fizz Fest focus on popular playground basketball games. Students can participate in S-T-A-R-R-Y, their version of the widespread game, H-O-R-S-E. This version, however, is a little different. Instead of avoiding spelling the full word, the goal is to make shots at specific points on the court to spell out S-T-A-R-R-Y. Whoever completes the word in the fastest time wins.

The fastest scorer from each HBCU will compete in a final event for the ultimate championship. The Starry Fizz Fest is already underway, as they visited Norfolk State on March 29. From there, the tour moves to Hampton on April 1, Jackson State on April 20, and finally Morgan State on April 26.

There's also a three-point knockout competition and Shaky Shot, where students will have to make shots with a moving backboard.