By Misha Cornelius
Howard University announced a partnership with Procter & Gamble (P&G) to bring R&B artist Victoria Monét to the highly anticipated Yardfest concert during the 2023 Howard University Homecoming. The talented singer-songwriter, whose hit single “On My Mama” is her first top 10 single on Urban Radio, will perform at the annual concert that attracts over 1,000 students, alumni and guests to the University’s main campus, the Yard.
P&G will offer gift bags filled with everyday essentials from brands like Bounty, Charmin, Swiffer, Gain, and other products. Guests of this year’s Yardfest will have a chance to visit P&G’s Shape Up and Touch Up station with Bevel & My Black is Beautiful, and a skincare station powered by products from Olay.
The University has also teamed up with NYX Professional Makeup to bring rapper Kaliii to Yardfest. This is the second consecutive year Howard University has partnered with NYX Professional Makeup to create an unforgettable Yardfest experience. During the concert, NYX Professional Makeup announced a sweepstakes worth $25,000 in cash prizes. Students will have 48 hours to apply for one of 25 $1,000 prizes to cover school supplies using a QR code displayed during Yardfest.
Kaliii is a rapper hailing from Roswell, Georgia, who released her debut mixtape in 2021. She scored her first Billboard Top 40 single “Area Codes,” and signed to Atlantic Records in 2023. Her music has been gold certified in the U.S. and Australia, and platinum certified in Canada. She has collaborated with R&B and Hip-Hop stars Moneybagg Yo, Latto, and Muni Long. One of the music industry’s newest rising stars, she has been profiled by Interview Magazine, UPROXX and MTV.
Monét is a Grammy award-nominated native of Sacramento, Calif. who has dominated multiple music industry avenues, from producing and songwriting, to taking her place in the spotlight center stage as a solo artist. In 2020, Monét independently released her long-awaited, critically acclaimed project “JAGUAR,” garnering praise from NPR, Pitchfork, Billboard, MTV, The FADER, Hypebeast, Essence, The Cut, E! and more. JAGUAR landed in the No. 1 spot on iTunes R&B album charts in 66 countries on its release day, No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, and No. 20 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart. This year, Monét made her late-night TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and received two nominations at the Soul Train Awards (Best New Artist and Ashford and Simpson Songwriters Award).
