Fast-rising Dancehall star Valiant took a moment during a recent performance to reflect on the time Popcaan “disrespected” him on stage almost four years ago.
The entertainer, who was the headliner at D’After Mas held at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus on Saturday, recalled how the Unruly Boss scolded him on stage at Bounty Killer‘s Inaugural ‘Trelawny Explosion Stage Show & Beach Party,’ in front of a large crowd in September 2019.
Popcaan had called Valiant on stage to perform one song and then asked the crowd whether they approved of his performance. When some in the crowd expressed disapproval, he told Valiant that he needed more training.
“Suh if unuh [Valiant] nuh ready fi go pon stage, doe ask Popcaan fi call unuh pon stage. Unuh nuh ready! Suh unuh betta gah training camp,” Popcaan said at the time.
Since then, the Speed Off singer has risen with a string of hit songs, and he couldn’t help but to bring up the incident that was etched in his memory as hundreds of fans endorsed him at Saturday’s party.
“Mi love eh whole a unuh. A far mi a fawud from enuh. Unuh nuh see di likkle video when di man run mi offa di stage…Not even applaud. Mi love unuh. From unuh rate mi seh ‘rububububup’,” the North Carolina deejay reflected.
During his set, he also allowed two newcomers to perform their own songs, claiming that he was desrespected the last time another artist brought him on stage.
“Yuh see every time me a perform, me always try bring a artist pon eh stage cah nobody neva bring me pon stage. The last time dem bring me pon stage dem style me,” Valiant said while introducing one of the artists.
Valiant remained an Unruly Camp member for more than two years after the incident, releasing songs under Popcaan’s label such as Couple Million, Steady, Miss Your Body, Man Wah Rich, Better Than That, and Enjoy Yuh Life.
The Mannings Hill native rose to prominence last summer with a new management team of friends and producers dubbed 1Diplomats.
In January 2023, the 24-year-old was the No. 1 most streamed artist in Jamaica on YouTube, with nine out of ten songs on YouTube’s Music Charts for the island during that month. Valiant was also No. 1 in Guyana, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Vincent in January.
As for his performances, Valiant admitted last month that he still had work to do to make his stagecraft even remotely good as that of Beres Hammond after observing the Lovers Rock Reggae icon’s recent show in Antigua.
Beres’ performance was “flawless,” he told CVM at Sunrise.
“So me as a younger artist, me teck een dat fi know seh me need more work; work di stage. Me check mi performance, wha mi need fi improve pan. Master mi a master mi craft; mi know mi sound.”
Valiant, whose real name is Raheem Bowes, added that being prolific with recordings, unfettered by criticisms, and not becoming complacent was the key to his recent success.
“What meck me successful now is consistency and not getting comfortable, because everybaddy know dah one song yah. It nuh get to mi, because as dem seh ‘dem love you today and hate you tomorrow’. So yuh haffi always stay consistent, pray and just work. Never stop recording; just work, work, work. It a guh pay off,” he said.
Some Twitter users have sung his praises following the performance.
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“Just saw a video of a valiant performance and i’m mad impressed with his set. nuff male entertainer jus a run up and dung pon stage,” @nellazhane tweeted.
“That valiant performance was one for the ages,” @_playboidante said.
@MANERUSH added, “Valiant deserve him place inna dancehall, the youth talent and stage performance unmatched.”
Prior to his appearance at the UWI Mona, a concerned student who identified herself only as “Sarah” wrote to the Editor at The Gleaner opposing a performance on the campus on the basis that his songs “promote scamming, violence and drugs.”
The show, however, went on even as the parish experienced inclement weather on Saturday.
His set was just over 20 minutes long, but the attendees were thrilled to hear him perform hits like Glock 40, Speed Off, Guzu Bunx & Fada Rock, Narcissistic (with Stalk Ashley), C.A.L, Dunce Cheque, and Barbies.
Stalk Ashley and Razor B also performed at the event.
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