Top Dawg Entertainment, in partnership with Toyota and BET and powered by The Orchard, has launched the TDE University Tour, a nine-campus initiative bringing live music, creative opportunities, and career development to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
The tour began Aug. 12 at Grambling State University in Louisiana and continues through Sept. 3, with stops including Jackson State University, Alabama State University, Southern University, Howard University, Morgan State University, Tennessee State University, and North Carolina A&T State University. An Aug. 21 stop will cover Atlanta’s HBCU campuses.
The tour also includes an Aug. 29 performance at the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Atlanta.
Each campus stop features a “Yardfest” celebration with performances from TDE artists and special guests, student showcases, games, giveaways, and food trucks. BET will also conduct voter registration drives at each stop.
A centerpiece of the tour is the “TDE Sessions” mobile recording studio, a tour bus converted into a recording facility. Up to 26 students at each participating campus can record original verses and hooks over official TDE tracks. Winners receive $500 and the opportunity to compete for a chance to perform at the 2026 Cricket Celebration Bowl HBCU on Dec. 12 and appear as a BET Amplified Live Artist at the 2027 BET Awards.
The initiative also includes a virtual mentorship program, with 30 students selected across the tour to receive guidance from executives at TDE, BET, and The Orchard.
Fans attending the TDE University Tour may get the chance to see performances from artists on Top Dawg Entertainment’s roster, including SZA, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, Isaiah Rashad, SiR, Zacari, Ray Vaughn, and Doechii, along with other TDE artists and special guests. The tour announcement does not specify which artists will perform at each individual campus, so lineups may vary by stop.
“TDE has always been about giving back and pushing the culture forward,” founder and CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith said in a statement. “We are giving back and helping the next generation take it to the next level.”
The tour is open to students and faculty at participating HBCUs, except for the Aug. 29 performance-only stop.
