Valiant Says He Just Sings What Dancehall Fans Want To Hear

Dancehall artist Valiant says that the lyrics in the string of hit songs he’s released since October are simply what the masses in the Caribbean want to hear, echoing statements made by his compatriot Skillibeng last year.

His songs—among them Dunce Cheque, North Carolina, St. Mary, C.A.L (Cut All Losses), Speed Off, Siance, and others—include one or more references to lotto scamming/fraud, MDMA (molly), obeah (spell casting), and/or moderate gunplay.

Collectively, they’ve earned Valiant top ranking as the No. 1 most streamed artist on YouTube in Jamaica, Guyana, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Vincent for the month of January. He was also No. 2 in Saint Kitts, No. 4 in Belize and Saint Lucia, No. 6 in Barbados, No. 7 in Dominica, and No. 8 in Trinidad & Tobago.

“A nuh really like seh wi a promote dem ting deh, but basically I’m a good writer. I have my subjects,” Valiant said.

“Mi jus’ put tings together weh people waan hear because if I’m singing about — ‘I’ve been going through so much’ — you doe waan hear dat! You doe care what I’m going through. Yuh ears aguh waan hear sup’m more negative. If yuh hear, ‘bounce cheque inna account…’ you’ll be like, ‘upset’—even if you doe like.”

The 24-year-old deejay, whose real name is Raheem Bowes, was speaking with producer Michael Richmond of ‘Big Smith News Watch’ in Guyana on Monday, after his first performance in the country at the Tower Hotel in Georgetown on Saturday (January 28).

Added Valiant:” An’ yuh hear ‘I’ve been going through…’ yuh skipping dat fi hear Bounce Cheque. A nuff levels ah music people doe really understan’ an’ me nuh really waan di yutes dem feel like seh mi ah put dat inna di atmosphere fi dem fi Bounce Cheque an’ dem likkle ting deh, yuh know? Is jus’, I’m a good writer an’ anything yuh pursuing like if yuh become become a nurse or sum’p like dat, yuh try fi master yuh craft inna many ways. Suh since mi ah do music, me try fi write more suh me can have storylines fi really tell an’ give mi customers dem an’ give mi audience dem.”

Valiant reasoned that he attempts to offer variety to satisfy fans across all age groups. 

“I was singing positive music first—I am still singing positive music but ‘vibesier’ music, yuh know dem way deh? The younger generation can get fi really love mi more but yet still mi still have di positive side weh the older folks can love as well,” he said.

Whap Whap deejay Skillibeng had also shared a similar take, amid criticism of his musical output.

In April last year, Skilli lamented that people have been gravitating more to his songs with nonsense syllables and unintelligible phrases, over what he described as his “good music.”

“I’ve been doing good music.  I have so much good music that people stop embracing.  Why you stop embracing the good music then?  I have so much good music.  Embrace the good music then.  It is the exact point need to be made bro because why don’t you embrace the music?  Why do I do Crocodile Teeth (its) at 35 million and Mr. Universe is like stuck at 10 million?” Skilli asked Ras Kwame of London’s Capital XTRA.

“Missa Universe is so impactful bro.  So powerful with so much knowledge and a man mean fi tell me seh, a dem song deh mi fi write everyday.   A bet seh him nuh learn everything inna Missa Universe yet.  Not even about learning the lyrics – understanding what I’m saying in that song.  They don’t bro!  But when man seh ‘whap whap whap’, today they say yow it’s rubbish.  Tomorrow they hidin in the bathroom dancing bro,” he added.

Last June, Prime Minister Andrew Holness called out Skillibeng’s Whap Whap, when he expressed discontent that much of the new music coming out of Jamaica was sending the wrong message about the country.

In November, Information Minister Robert Morgan expressed concern about the lyrical content of Valiant’s Dunce Cheque and its implications on the youth. However, Opposition leader Mark Golding rebutted that take on Dunce Cheque in January, saying that it was merely a form of creative expression. 

Elsewhere in the ‘Big Smith’ interview, Valiant said he was eyeing collaborations with a few local and international acts.

“Drake, Offset…dem big international artist deh. Locally, Masicka, Aidonia, Teejay, an’ some ah di veteran dem Shaggy dem. All a dem,” he said before Richmond asked if he would be interested in collaborating with Vybz Kartel to which he replied, “Yeah man, of course Vybz Kartel. Gaza man, stop it nuh man! Oh gosh man.”

All the same, the singer says he remains grounded.

“Di fame an’ di hype nuh really get to mi ‘cause ah weh you ah pree. Yuh jus’ still behave normal. It nuh really get to me still,” he said.

Saturday was Valiant’s debut in Guyana and by all indications, it was a success.

“It was great. It’s my first time over Guyana. Like di energy is right an’ di fans dem love mi an’ mi love dem back suh it was a great experience,” Valiant said of the performance. 

The interview came to a close with the singer encouraging fans to remain diligent in order to achieve success and to deter from illicit activities to get rich.

“Basically jus’ stay focus. Self belief ah one ah di bes’ belief dem as a Diplomat an’ yuh nuh haffi guh di illegal way fi get money. Yuh can work a 9-5 an’ yuh still can become someting. Suh yuh know me as a garrison yute, an’ di team as a garrison yute, yuh jus’ haffi jus’ stay focus ‘cause mi ah tell unuh seh it happen ova jus’ three months, four months an’ tings jus start change up an’ wi still humble same way. Anyting weh yah do, even if people inna yuh ears a tell yuh seh yuh cyaa dweet; still stay focus cause it haffi happen once yuh put in di work, yuh haffi achieve sum’p,” he said.

And on the matter of becoming the top Dancehall artist?

“Mi career will talk fi dat still. Me nah talk fi dat. A di work talk fi dat. Suh mi jus’ aguh continue work an’ stay focus,” Valiant said.

Valiant rose to prominence in October 2022 after being captured on camera engaging in a conversation at one of his music video shoots, where he glibly uttered the words “kotch e hat, a lie.” The clip went viral, resulting in many music fans seeking him out after finding out that he was a recording artist.