Cassper Defends Riky Rick’s Cotton Fest For Having Amapiano Artists. The Cotton Fest team took things a notch up this year to surprise the vim and vigorous crowd with the American star Akon, who took fans on a trip down memory lane with old classics. A slew of local artists also delivered stellar performances on all three stages, giving audiences the sovereignty to enthral themselves with the music of their choice.
Cotton Eaters, as they are called because of their affinity for fashion, pulled out all the stops to look the part. However, some have shared that they felt since Ricky Rick passed on, the event has changed from focusing on Hip Hop to amapiano. After a fan voiced out their opinion, Cassper Nyovest who also performed at the event has a different opinion. “Bullshit!!! Riky was bout the culture and listening to the kids. He was the first person to work with Amaroto and Jazziq,” he wrote.
The event featured over 160 of South Africa’s finest young musical talent, including Cassper Nyovest, A-Reece, Anele Zondo, Blxckie, DBN Gogo, DJ Maphorisa, Musa Keys, Sjava, Uncle Waffles, Young Stunna, K.O. and Nadia Nakai. By bringing together established and emerging South African talent, the festival highlighted the diversity of music while bridging the gaps between various local current movements.
The event was filled with memorable moments, including the emotionally charged tribute to Ricky along with the artists who also reminded the crowds how incredible the music star was. This year, the Cotton Fest team also launched the Cotton Fest Creative programme, founded by the late Riky Rick, to give back to the students in the community while creating various outlets to empower young creatives to succeed in their studies and careers.
“We are extremely excited to have the privilege to assist young people in achieving this huge milestone in their educational journey. When we started Cotton Fest, the idea was not just to have a once-off concert, but to do so much more for the culture as a whole, and moreover offer support within the community. Now, with the additional financial injection from PUMA this year, we were finally able to make the Cotton Fest Creative Programme a reality and action this support,” explained Riky’s wife, Bianca Naidoo.
