Despite the untimely death of festival founder Riky Rick in February, the third iteration of Cotton Fest is set to go ahead as planned this weekend.
Many of the artists performing have been paying respects to the late icon on social media in the build-up to the event, and it’s primed to be an emotional and highly charged tribute festival to Riky and his legacy.
After a two-year hiatus as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the two-day festival returns bigger than ever with a massive line-up featuring almost all of the country's biggest artists.
Here are the five artists we're most looking forward to seeing over the weekend:
Young Stunna
Young Stunna is without a doubt one of the most electrifying performers in the country at the moment.
Despite being booked for several shows week in and week out, he always seems to bring high energy and a solid vocal performance when called upon.
I expect nothing less this weekend at Cotton Fest.
Cassper Nyovest
Cassper seems like a cliché addition to this list, but the guy really does bring his A-game when it comes to live shows.
Who can forget how many across the globe were in awe of his performance at 2019’s Global Citizen Festival at theFNB Stadium ,where international critics and festivalgoers alike called his performance the best of the night?
Three years later and he hasn't lost a step.
Kamo Mphela
Kamo Mphela has been among the best performers in South Africa for the better part of three years now.
This is hardly surprising when you consider that she exploded onto the scene as an energetic and fierce dancer before she pursued a career in music.
Her experience as a dancer shows in her live performances, which typically include some impressive moves and a crew of dancers as energetic as she is.
Phantom Steeze and Costa Titch
When Phantom Steeze and his partner in crime Costa Titch first started to catch our attention in 2019 after the success of the latter’s hit single Nkalakhatha, what stood out most was their high energy and refreshing performance value.
They’ve lived up to the hype and raised the bar for on-stage creativity over the past few years.
I have no doubt that they’ve got something insane up their sleeves for this weekend.
Fif Laa
Last, but not least, is YFM DJ Fif Laa. Fif has been grinding her way up in the DJ space for the past few years and is only now finally gaining significant commercial traction.
Just two weeks ago, she was among the few female artists booked at Cassper Nyovest and NaakMusiQ’s Celeb City weekend festivities, and she did not disappoint.