Riky Rick’s Cotton Club Pop Up store does it for the kids

Kaffein Magazine went to check out Riky Rick’s Cotton Club Records  pop up in Braamfontein, Johannesburg and cover the beauty in its apparent spontaneity, we came packed with good energy, curiosity and a whole lot of Oreos and refreshments for what looked to be an interesting afternoon.

I first came across Riky Rick’s music when he dropped his Love and marriage beat tape, (I could write a whole review on this gem but you can download it here), it was then that I opened my eyes to his worldview on music and his unique form of artistry, never would I have imagined seeing his creativity grow and overflow through our screens, radios, phones and into the hearts of so many types of people on so many levels.

The vibe

Riky dropped the artwork for the event a day before – in classic pop up fashion – and the kids did what they had to do, to show love and support for their hero; and of course to get in line with the hope of getting their hands on the limited merchandise.

The streets were flooded with people watching the day’s entertainment, socializing and showing off their brown paper bags and threads. Every now and then people would come out of the store in their new hoodies and beaming smiles, while the anxious were systematically allowed to enter the store.

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A hand full of die-hard supporters had already lined-up outside the shop as early as 08:00 am on a sunny winter’s morning and Boss Zonke showed his genuine appreciation and love by buying them some coffee to keep them warm and in good spirits. He was dressed in his Cotton Club Records Super Distressed hoodie which he mentioned on Instagram as his pick of the litter, blue jeans and classic gold Tims. In sharing the spirit he let his true fans tag his Tims, another solid gesture that displayed his character…to those of us who are usually a screen away from any of his representations. The producer/artist also spent quite a bit of time having fun outside with the fans, taking pictures and touching base with people he knows.

At the end of it all he let as many people as possible into the store and celebrated with them. He sold out his new merch  in a few hours but left no one excluded with his presence.

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Merch

• The store had fresh cropped gender neutral hoodies with bleached hues of soft blues and a pink “Cotton Club Records” logo. Bringing out a free spirited air about this piece.

• Another option was a hoodie with bleached shades of browns mainly Raw Umber and hints of Tan. This item gives off a militant feel to the range as it is reminiscent of a desert storm trooper’s uniform.

• The SUPER DISTRESSED is similar to the above and has a heavily worn out, rugged edge to it, with splashes of dark greens and browns, the logo is in black and appears to be wearing out.

The downfall of the day was the clashing music and entertainment from next door which made the experience a bit jarring for me and made such an awesome day seem like a clash of hip-hop egos, although there’s videos of the man of day hanging out next door and supporting their work too.

All in all It was a refreshing pop up store that disrupted the way day to day business gets handled in Braamfontein and gave power to the streets. A strong message of self belief and community was shared with the audience…reminding us that we can all make our dreams come true if we put our minds to it. Check out the speech below:

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Check out the gallery below: