Riky told TshisaLIVE the idea came from a desire to unify the hip-hop industry and give young talent a chance to shine.
"I have been watching this wave of artists taking their destiny into their own hands and making shows they want to make. It inspired me to start a festival where I can merge the youth with established artists. These are all my friends so it is like Riky and friends. It's about unifying everyone."
Riky has long been an advocate for developing young artists, even giving a passionate speech at the 2017 Metro FM Awards encouraging upcoming musos to focus on their own hustle and forget about the constraints of some labels and exploitation.
Last year the star also announced that he had decided to take a break to focus on more behind the scenes projects.
"I enjoy being behind the scenes a little more than having to be the ego. I enjoy pushing talent...that is just my nature. This is my calling. This is what I want to focus my career on now."
Riky said Cotton Fest represents freedom in an industry that can sometimes be restricting.
"I don't know about other festivals but this one is about freedom. It is about the kids being free. It is about the kids coming through and doing what they want to do. It is about them being handled the way they want to be handled.
"So many times event organisers won't let us do what we want to do. Promoters won't let us do what we want to do. So, this is about us knowing what is best and how to cater to the kids."