5 Questions With ... Valiant
Published:Friday | December 1, 2023 | 12:10 AM
Rural St Andrew native, Raheem ‘Valiant’ Bowes, is one of the fastest rising and most loved artistes currently in the dancehall industry. Valiant, who was once a part of the Unruly Camp, became a viral sensation following his ‘kotch e hat, a lie’ moment last year and he hasn’t looked back since.
He has steadily released hits after hits, ensuring his name reaches every community across Jamaica. With songs such as North Carolina, Expensive, Speed Off and his most recent, Mad Out, Valiant has successfully spread good vibes and energy to all who listen to his music.
The Five Questions With ... team caught up with ‘The Diplomat’ for a quick chat, ahead of his first major stage show in St. Elizabeth today, Friday, December 1.
1.What spurred the decision to host this stage show? And why St. Elizabeth?
When I first came on the scene, I was booked to perform in St Elizabeth, but I didn’t get the opportunity to perform because an incident occured. I decided to keep my first stage show there because that’s the first place I received real, true support from my fans.
2.How would you describe your journey into the dancehall industry?
Dancehall for me has been a lot of work. To survive in the industry, you have to be strong because dancehall comes with a lot of critics. So far, it’s been going really well. I’ve been blessed with this awesome opportunity, so I’m just doing more and more work to remain a valuable force in dancehall.
3.Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
In the next five years, I see myself as an internationally acclaimed artiste. I’m putting in the work to grow more, so I can achieve much more.
4.Can we expect any new music for the holiday season?
I do have new music for the holiday, ‘A gift from me to you’. This is a new project basically fi di girls dem. I’m trying to focus more on our women to show them appreciation they deserve, because they support Valiant music, they support The Diplomats a lot so the project is really a gift from me to you. It’s going to drop in December, so more information will be on my Instagram, Twitter and other media platforms.
5.In the spirit of Christmas, what do you enjoy most about the season?
Just being around my family is the greatest thing. Knowing that another year has come around and I can see them, and everyone is in good health and are okay, is truly the best thing about Christmas for me.