Dear Riky Rick...

Dear Riky

I’m angry and sad, you and I were strangers that met through my interest in your career as an up and coming artist. I remember coming to your complex for the first time in a room crammed with sneakers and studio equipment to play me a work in progress Family Values album, that's when our relationship really started. I was intrigued by your love for Tupac, fashion and your family but I left feeling like I don't know how but you're gonna be a star. You became exactly that, you made your own rules and your own path.

Even when you were accomplished you’d engage me with curiosity, respect and love. In every interview we had once the cameras were off you wanted to pick my brain on life, family, love, evolving from music, new generation artists and the industry. 

Although you were a light to many young kids I knew you indirectly chose me to be a sounding board in your career and in life cause at least once  a quarter you’d call me for no real reason and start your conversation with the name you created for me, Slik's, you’d be like “Slik's, I’m just checking up on you….”  You’d ask me anything about everything and I’d give you information, insight and you’d also challenge my view to see things differently. You’d wrap the call by saying “haai Slik's we don’t know lets catch up…..”

I’m really going to miss those calls cause in retrospect I realise you were looking at me as a big brother who you could talk to without  judgment. You trusted me enough to share your thoughts and you genuinely wanted me to do well, that played out when you called me last year about an investment opportunity that you wanted me to consider.

Riky I thought that you were going to be what I was for you for the youth that I couldn’t reach. 

You constantly kept pushing me to dig deeper into the new generation and I kept throwing it back to you.I mean only two weeks ago we were talking about the Cotton Fest vision.  

You had a big heart, big ambitions and so much love, your genuine heart struggled in an industry that required you to be fickle.Your success was not in the material things you’d brilliantly fit but in your kindness. Your innate co-ordination of style,fashion and music attracted the attention of the industry's shallowness and pressures yet you were merely being you. You were the cotton plant yet many only saw the cotton festival that came with lights and the glamour.  I think they missed who you are,I think they missed your heart and that does get exhausting.

I never knew you meant so much to me, I cried so hard today. 

My love goes to Bianca and the children.

We yet to find another love that will do what you did for the culture.