Valiant made his first-ever trip to Europe for the Dancehall Takeover at Summerjam 2026 in Cologne, Germany, and sat down with Munchy for episode 86 of “Wha Gwaan Munchy?!?” to talk about it all. The festival ran from July 3 to 5, with the episode dropping on July 9, giving fans a proper inside look at what went down.
One of the more personal moments in the episode is Valiant opening up about being adopted and growing up in Kingston. He talks about what kind of student he was and how music was never really a side interest for him, it was the plan from the beginning, with singing already part of his school life.
The conversation also gets into the split between Valiant the artist and Raheem Bowes the private person, which is something he clearly thinks about. He even explains why he chose the name Valiant, which gives the whole thing a bit more depth than your standard festival interview.
On the career side, he is direct about his ambitions. He says he puts in the work, stays focused on his own lane, and has a two-year target to become the king of dancehall, which is a bold thing to say out loud but fits the energy he has been building.
The episode also captures live vibes from the festival floor, including Masicka and Dexta Daps performing “Leader” live backed by the Ruff Kutt Band. Luciano also gets a moment representing roots reggae at the same festival, showing the range Summerjam brings together under one roof in Cologne.
Valiant talks about what he actually wants from music, both for himself and for his fans. His aim is straightforward: make music that brings joy and a positive feeling, and he holds the artists he listens to that same standard, which says something about how seriously he takes the craft side of things.
The different sides of his character come up throughout the episode too, and it sounds like Munchy gets into the contrast between the performer people see on stage and the person behind it. That kind of conversation tends to land differently when it happens at a festival rather than a studio, with the energy of the event still in the air.
As for what is next, Valiant confirms that reggae songs are in the works and an album is in the making. That is a shift worth paying attention to for anyone who has followed him strictly as a dancehall act, and it suggests he is thinking about his catalog in a longer-term way.
The episode is out now, and with the album still being built and Summerjam 2026 fresh in the rearview, the conversation feels like a checkpoint rather than a conclusion.
